My Travel Journal
Escaping from the Cabin…About 8 o'clock in the morning, Jackson Island
The Fog…early morning, on the raft on the river
The Wilks family…Night, Mary Jane's house
Cabin with Jim…morning, Aunt Sally's and Uncle Silas' house
Escaping with Jim…late night, Aunt Sally's and Uncle Silas' house
About 8 o'clock in the morning, Jackson Island
I'm sittin' here writin' this among loud booms from a cannon. The ferry-boat is continuing to fire its cannons in hope that they find my dead body. Man am I hungry I haven't eaten since quite awhile but anyways let me tell how my death can to be.
Pap spotted a raft of nine logs coming down the river and he wanted to go sell them right away. He left me locked in the cabin but soon enough I finished making my hole in the cabin. Then I did a bunch of things to make it maybe seem like robbers killed me. I took some food and things and hid it by the canoe. I fixed the hole so they wouldn't guess I escaped that way and then I used an ax and hacked in the door. Then I killed a wild pig, cut its throat to let the blood come and dragged it over into the river. This made it look like I had been thrown in the river.
I hid next to the canoe and took a little nap. When I woke up I first I didn't realize where I was but suddenly I heard a skiff. I quickly stood up in case it were Pap on that skiff. I clearly saw him and as soon as he rowed past, I slipped onto the water in the canoe. Though once I was on the water I could hear people talking at the ferry landing and I understood every word! I aimed for Jackson Island and quickly made it there. I hid my canoe and Went to the head of the island. I heard some more men talking on a lumber raft before I decided to go to sleep.
So now I'm here. I gonna see if I can catch me a loaf of the bread they puts in water to show you where the body is. Oh here comes one now.
Huck
Early Mornin' Raft on the River
I can't believe what happened today. Me, Huck, said sorry to a nigger, and that nigger being Jim. Hold on, I'm gettin' way ahead of myself, let me explain from the beginnin'…
Me and Jim were paddlin' down the river, me on the canoe and Jim on the raft, when all of a sudden of huge blanket of fog approached us. I made for the tow-head to tie to and made it but it was too late for Jim. I couldn't see him anywheres. I got back on my canoe and started down the river after him. I couldn't see nothin', the white fog was all around me. I started to get frightened in the spooky fog so I gave out a whoop. Then I heard a responding whoop. This went on for several minutes but it warn't any good, I was never close enough too him. Sometimes he was to the left to me, sometimes to the right. It was crazy.
Suddenly a large cut bank appeared between us and I couldn't hear Jim anymore. After I passed it I could barely hear Jim's whoops again so I decided there ain't nothin' I could do. So I decided to take a cat nap, but once I awoke I realized it musta be longer than a cat nap. I started lookin' for the raft and Jim. I found them alright and Jim was fast asleep. I decided to pretend that everything that happened was a dream. Jim believed me too until he saw the raft. Then he told me just what he thought of such a low trick and I felt mighty bad. So I went and said sorry to him after fifteen minutes and I don't feel one bit sorry that I humbled myself to a nigger. Though I will never now play a mean trick like that on him again.
Huck
Night, The Wilks' house
Me, the duke, the king, and Jim arrived at a new town today, perfect for the duke and king's next scam. The duke immediately pretended to be Peter Wilks' brother and starts cryin' all over the place and givin' speeches. And the funny thing is that all the townspeople believed him. All he had to do was mention their names, names that he heard from that gossipin' man on the way to this town. The townspeople brought the duke his inheritance money and the duke and the king go off and count it only to find that some money is missin'. Then they replaced it with their own money so that no one would accuse them of stealin', I mean borrowin' it. Then they up and decided to give it all back to the girls! The girls are so touched that they gave all of it back. So then they decide to give it to the duke and king so that they can do whatever they want with the money. The only person who was suspicious is the doctor but no one listened to him.
Then we went to the girls' house and ate dinner there. The one girl with a massive hare-lip asked me so many questions. I got very confused and I had to change my answers lots of times to keep lying properly. I never knew that lying could be such hard work. I just kept telling her things as they came to my mind.
I'm now feelin' kinda low down and ornery, I'm gonna let those rascals still those poor girls money, plus I really wanna help Mary Jane. That's it, I've decided to go steal the money from the duke and the king to give it back to the girls. I gonna do it right this instant!
Huck
Morning, Aunt Sally's and Uncle Silas' house
Me and Tom decided to go and find Jim. He had to be here somewhere. Tom figured out that he was being kept in a hut by the ash-hopper. Tom is so much smarter, I only though the nigger goin' to the hut was feeding the dog. I explain my plan to Tom but he thinks that its way to plain and simple that we need to elaborate it. Tom always has the best ideas so I will just follow whatever he says. I just think its so funny that Tom is gonna help me steal a slave, I almost think he's lying but he said he would and he'll keep his word. We looked around a bit and Tom started forming his plan. He thinks that we can dig through the foundation. We decided to go to bed and see if tomorrow we could get into the hut. But on the way to the rooms Tom was insistent that he must climb the lightning-rod. Me, I like it plain and simple, I just walked quietly up the stairs.
This mornin' the nigger feeding Jim lets us go in the hut with him. And sure enough there was Jim. He recognized us and said somethin'. But to put the nigger watchin' him on the wrong track me and Tom denied that Jim ever said nothing'. The nigger watchin' Jim figures that it was the witches that made him think that so Tom give him a dime. He also whispered to Jim that if he heard any diggin' that it was just us digging him free. Now me and Tom are gatherin' the supplies for rescuing Jim, Tom has a lot of things he needs to make sure that Jim escapes like a proper prisoner.
Huck
Late Night, Aunt Sally's and Uncle Silas' house
I just escaped from Aunt Sally's clutches, she found me from the cellar with some butter. From my room I slid down the lightning-rod and went to find Tom in the hut. I told him about all the men with their guns inside the house. Suddenly we heard the tramp of all those men coming. They changed their plan and decided that some of them would hide inside the hut. Me, Tom, and Jim squeezed under the bed and out through the close. We got out safely but when Tom went over the fence, his britches caught fast and he had to rip them lose. This made a pretty loud sound and all the men started running in our direction. We ran for the river with bullets flying all around it us, it was mighty scary.
They sent the dogs to go find us but it warn't no use because once they sniffed us they knew we were friends. So the dogs left us and continued running. We finally made it onto the raft and I told Jim that he was free again. He was mighty glad too. Then Tom spoke up and said he were very too because he had a bullet in his leg! When me and Jim heard that we didn't feel so brash anymore, now I was kinda worried for Tom. The bullet wound was hurting Tom a lot, so we put him in the wigwam and wrapped his leg with some of the duke's old shirts. He wanted us to sail away down the river but I decided against it. I knew I could trust Jim so Jim stayed on the boat while I went and got help. I told the doctor and he went in the canoe himself, thinking it to not be seaworthy and I went back and heard all the gossip about Jim, they thought he was crazy! Uh-oh I hear Aunt Sally comin' down the hall to say goodnight, better hid this quick.
Huck