The next day, the group stayed near the middle of the river. There was a village on both sides of the water. The King and The Duke made a plan to get more money from the people in the towns.
Jim spoke to The Duke. Jim was very tired. When the men left the raft (a flat boat made of wood), they always tied Jim with a rope. They did this so people would think Jim was a runaway slave. Jim hated the rope.
The Duke was very smart. He found a new plan for Jim. He dressed Jim in a long dress and a white wig. Then The Duke painted Jim’s face and neck a solid blue color.
Jim looked very scary. The Duke wrote a sign on a piece of wood. The sign said: Sick Arab (a sick man from a far country). The sign said Jim was not dangerous.
The Duke told Jim to stay on the raft. If anyone came near, Jim had to jump out and shout like a wild animal. Jim was happy with this plan. He did not have to be tied with a rope anymore.
The King and The Duke wanted to do their show again. But they were afraid the people knew about their lies. The Duke stayed behind to think of a new plan.
The King wanted to go to the village. He put on his best black clothes. He looked very important and kind. Huck also put on nice clothes. They looked like rich people.
Huck and The King took a small boat. They saw a big steamboat (a large boat moved by steam) near the shore. The King wanted to arrive at the village on the big boat.
They saw a young man sitting on a log. The young man had two large bags. The King invited the young man into their boat. The young man was going to a big city.
The King told a lie to the young man. The King said his name was Reverend Blodgett. He said he was a traveling priest.
The young man looked at The King. He thought The King was a man named Mr. Harvey Wilks. The young man said a rich man named Peter Wilks died last night.
Peter Wilks was waiting for his two brothers from England. One brother was named Harvey. The other brother was named William. William was deaf (unable to hear) and could not speak.
Peter Wilks was very rich. He left a lot of money and houses. He wanted his brothers to have the money. He also had three nieces: Mary Jane, Susan, and Joanna.
The brothers from England did not arrive in time. They had never been to America before. The King asked many questions about the family. He wanted to know everything.
The young man told The King about Peter’s friends and Peter’s business. He told The King the names of everyone in the town. Then the young man got onto the big boat.
The King went back to find The Duke. The King told The Duke everything. The King wanted to pretend to be Harvey Wilks. He told The Duke to pretend to be William Wilks.
The Duke said he could act like a person who was deaf. They took their bags and went to the village. They arrived on a boat from the big city.
Many men were at the river. The King asked for the house of Peter Wilks. A man said Peter Wilks died yesterday. The King began to cry loudly.
The King acted very sad. He used his hands to talk to The Duke. The Duke began to cry too. They were both frauds (people who lie to get money).
The people in the town felt sorry for them. The men carried the bags for The King and The Duke. Huck felt very bad. He was ashamed because the men were lying to the kind people.