After breakfast, Huck Finn wanted to talk about the dead man in the house. Huck Finn wanted to know how the man died. Jim did not want to talk about it. Jim said it brought bad luck (the feeling that something bad will happen). Jim said the dead man might haunt (visit as a ghost) them. Jim said a dead man who is not buried is dangerous. Huck Finn thought this was a good reason, so Huck Finn stopped talking. But Huck Finn still wanted to know who shot the man and why they did it.
Jim and Huck Finn looked through the old clothes they found in the house. They found eight dollars in silver hidden in the lining (the inside cloth) of an old coat. Jim thought the people in the house stole the coat. Jim said if they knew about the money, they would not leave it there. Huck Finn thought those people killed the man too. But Jim did not want to talk about that.
Huck Finn spoke to Jim about their luck. Huck Finn reminded Jim about a snake-skin (the dry outer skin of a snake) that Huck Finn found two days ago. Jim said it was the worst luck in the world to touch a snake-skin. Huck Finn said the luck was actually good because they found eight dollars. Huck Finn said he wanted bad luck every day. Jim told Huck Finn to be careful. Jim said the bad luck was coming soon.
The bad luck came on Friday. Huck Finn and Jim were resting in the grass. Huck Finn went to a cavern (a large, deep cave) to get some tobacco. Huck Finn found a rattlesnake (a dangerous snake that makes a loud noise with its tail) inside. Huck Finn killed the snake. Huck Finn put the dead snake on Jim’s blanket as a joke. Huck Finn thought it would be funny when Jim found it.
That night, Huck Finn forgot about the snake. Jim went to the blanket and sat down. The dead snake’s mate (the other snake in a pair) was there. The live snake bit Jim on his heel. Jim jumped up and shouted. Huck Finn used a stick and killed the snake. Jim grabbed a bottle of whisky (a very strong alcohol) and started to drink it to stop the pain.
The snake bit Jim because Huck Finn was not careful. Huck Finn forgot that a live snake always looks for its dead mate. Jim told Huck Finn to cut off the snake’s head and throw it away. Then Huck Finn had to cook a piece of the snake's body. Jim ate the meat because he thought it would help him. Huck Finn also tied the snake’s tail around Jim's wrist. Later, Huck Finn threw the snakes into the bushes. Huck Finn did not want Jim to know the bite was Huck Finn’s fault.
Jim drank a lot of whisky for the pain. Sometimes Jim felt very sick and shouted. Then Jim became very quiet and sleepy. Jim’s foot and leg became very big and red. Jim stayed on his blanket for four days and nights. After four days, the swelling went away and Jim was better. Huck Finn promised to never touch a snake-skin again. Jim said the bad luck might continue.
Jim said that touching a snake-skin was worse than looking at the new moon over your left shoulder. People say that looking at the moon like that is very foolish. Huck Finn’s father told a story about a man named Hank Bunker. Hank Bunker looked at the new moon over his left shoulder. Two years later, Hank Bunker fell from a tall tower and died. Huck Finn believed that the moon caused the accident.
The days passed and the river became lower. Huck Finn and Jim used a rabbit to catch a fish. They caught a giant catfish (a large fish with long hairs near its mouth). The fish was more than six feet long and very heavy. It was as big as a man. The fish moved a lot in the water. Huck Finn and Jim watched the fish until it died.
They opened the fish and found a brass button inside its stomach. They also found a round ball. They used a hatchet (a small axe) to open the ball. There was a small piece of wood inside it. Jim said it was the biggest fish in the river. They could sell a fish like that for a lot of money in the village. People like to buy that fish because the meat is white and good to eat.
The next morning, Huck Finn felt bored. Huck Finn wanted to go to the town to see what was happening. Jim liked the idea, but Jim told Huck Finn to be careful. Jim said Huck Finn should dress like a girl so no one would know him. They had an old calico gown (a simple dress made of cotton). They made the dress shorter and Huck Finn put it on. Huck Finn also wore a sun-bonnet (a large hat that covers the face). Jim said Huck Finn looked like a girl.
Huck Finn practiced wearing the dress all day. Jim said Huck Finn did not walk like a girl. Jim also told Huck Finn to stop putting his hands in his pockets. After it became dark, Huck Finn took the canoe (a small, narrow boat). Huck Finn went across the river to the Illinois shore.
Huck Finn arrived at the town and tied the boat to the bank. Huck Finn saw a light in a small shanty (a small, old house). No one lived there for a long time. Huck Finn looked through the window and saw a woman. She was about forty years old. She was knitting (making clothes with wool and needles) by a candle. Huck Finn did not know her. She was a stranger in the town.
Huck Finn was happy because the woman was a stranger. She would not know Huck Finn’s voice. If she was new to the town, she could tell Huck Finn all the news. Huck Finn knocked on the door. Huck Finn promised himself that he would not forget to act like a girl.