Chapter+31-43


 * Scene/ Chapter 31:**

EXT- AT THE RAFT – MIDDAY

Huck comes down to the raft. HUCK Set her loose, Jim, we’re alright now! Huck looks around for Jim and can’t find him so he cries. He goes out towards the road and comes across a boy. HUCK Have you seen a strange nigger? BOY Yes down to Silas Phelps place. He is a runaway slave and they caught him. Was you looking for him? HUCK No way! You bet I aint! He done threatened me earlier. BOY You needn’t be afeard no more because they’ve got ‘em. There is a $200 reward for him. HUCK Who nailed him? BOY It was an old fellow and he sold out chance in him for $40 because he got to go up the river and can’t wait.

Boy leaves. Huck writes a letter to Miss. Watson

HUCK Miss. Watson, your runaway nigger, Jim, is down here 2 mile below Pikesville and Mr. Phelps has got him and he will give him up for the reward if you send. Huck Finn.

Huck is thinking and trembling about the letter. HUCK Alright then, I’ll go to hell!

Huck rips up his letter. Huck hides his raft and goes to bed.

EXT- ON THE ROAD- MORNING

Huck runs into the Duke.

DUKE Hel-lo! Where’d you come from? Where’s the raft? Got her in a good place? HUCK That’s what I was about to ask you. I thought you and King ran away with Jim. Where’s Jim? And the raft? DUKE I don’t know. That old fool made a trade and got $40 and spent it all on whiskey. The little rascal has stole our raft and shook us and run off down the river. HUCK: I wouldn’t shake my nigger would I?- the only nigger I had in the world, and the only property. DUKE: I reckon we come to consider him our nigger. That old fool sold Jim. Huck is crying. HUCK: I got to turn out and find my nigger. DUKE: If you promise you won’t blow and you won’t let the nigger blow, I’ll tell you where to find him. HUCK: I promise. DUKE: A farmer by the name of Silas Phe- The man that bought him is named Abram Foster. Maybe you can get him to believe that Jim is your nigger. Huck ponders what to do, thinking of a plan to rescue Jim.


 * Scene/Chapter 32: **

EXT. SILAS PHELP’S HOUSE – DAYTIME

Huckleberry Finn arrives at the house of Silas Phelps to free Jim. Jim has been sold to the family by the King and the Duke.

AUNT SALLY: “It’s you, at last—ain’t it?” HUCK (pretending to be who she is looking for): Yes’m

Aunt Sally grabs Huck and hugs him.

INT. INSIDE SILAS PHELP’S HOUSE – DAYTIME

AUNT SALLY: Children, it is your cousin Tom!—tell him howdy! We been expecting you a couple days and more. What’s kept you? Boat get aground?

HUCK: The boat didn’t run aground. We had an accident. AUNT SALLY: Was anyone hurt? HUCK: No. Just a slave was killed. AUNT SALLY: Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt. Did you see your Uncle on the way? HUCK: No. I left my baggage on the dock and headed over here.

AUNT SALLY: It’s been stolen! Well, you have been gone. Tell me everything about your family, etc. Huck gets antsy, wanting to go outside and hang out with the children to get information on who he is supposed to be. AUNT SALLY: Why here comes your uncle! Hide and I will play a trick on him that you are not here!

HUCK: (to the audience) I was in a fix now! There warn’t nothing to do buy hold still and get caught in my lie.

Huck hides under the bed. Uncle Silas returns and tells Aunt Sally that their nephew has not arrived yet.

AUNT SALLY: Has he come? UNCLE SILAS: No. There is no way I could have missed him. AUNT SALLY: Look! Up the road! Someone is coming! It’s Tom Sawyer!

Uncle Silas looks out the window and Aunt Sally grabs Huck out of his hiding place. He realizes that Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas think he is Tom Sawyer. Huck worries that Tom will arrive and blow his cover. He plans to continue pretending to be Tom and rope his friend into the lie when he arrives.


 * Scene/Chapter 33: **

EXT. ROAD TO TOWN - DAYTIME

Huckleberry Finn takes the wagon to town to see if he can intercept Tom Sawyer before he arrives. He sees him along the road.

HUCK: Hold On! TOM: I haven’t done you any harm! Why are you coming back to haunt me! HUCK: I haven’t come back! I haven’t been gone! TOM: Don’t clown me! I wouldn’t clown you! Honest, you aren’t a ghost? HUCK: No! I wasn’t murdered! I faked my death!

Tom makes sure that Huck is a real person. Once he is sure, he wants to hear about all Huck’s adventures. Huck says he will tell him later and asks Tom what they should do now. Tom decides that Huck should pretend Tom’s luggage is his and head to the Phelps. Tom will then arrive later.

HUCK: All right; but wait a minute. There’s one more thing—a thing that nobody know but me. I am going to try to steal Miss Watson’s lave Jim out of slavery. TOM: What! Why Jim is” HUCK: I know what you’ll say. You’ll say it’s a dirty low down business, but I am going to do it. Please keep quiet and not let on. TOM: I’ll help you steal him!

Huck is surprised that Tom is going to help him; it being wrong and all. Huck says his respect for Tom has fallen because he is going to be a law breaker. Huck returns to the house, expecting Tom to arrive after.

INT. SILAS PHELP’S HOUSE – DAYTIME

AUNT SALLY: Why there’s somebody coming! I wonder who it is? Everyone rushes for the front door to greet the stranger. TOM: Mr. Archbald Nichols, I presume?

The old gentleman tells Tom that Nichols lives down the road. Tom says that the wagon has already left, so Aunt Sally offers to let him stay. While spinning his back story, Tom kisses Aunt Sally. He has to work to explain his way out of his situation then. Tom turns to Huck.

TOM (to Huck—who is pretending to be Tom Sawyer): Tom, didn’t you think Aunt Sally’d open her arms and say “Sid Sawyer—” AUNT SALLY: Why dear me. We weren’t expecting you, only Tom. Your mom didn’t tell me you were coming to visit. The family has dinner, and Huck (as Tom) listens for confirmation that Jim is there, which Uncle Silas confirms. Tom tells Huck that everyone thinks he was murdered and that Jim ran away. Huck tells Tom about his adventures on the river since he left.

**Scene/Chapter 34** TOM

Looky here, I bet I know where Jim is! In that hut down by the ash-hopper. Didn’t you see a nigger man go in there with some vittles?

HUCK Yes, but wasn’t them vittles for some dog?

TOM Nope, because there was watermelon on that plate. The nigger man unlocked the hut before he gone in and right after. Watermelon shows man, and lock shows prisoner.

HUCK So it was

TOM Well im glad we foud it out detective fashion. You think of a plan to steal Jim and I’ll think of a plan to steal Jim. Then we come together and pick the best one.

Jim and Huck take a minute to make plans

HUCK I say we get my canoe tomorrow night and and fetch my raft. We steal the keys from the old man’s britches. Get on the raft, get Jim, and go on down the raft. Wouldn’t that work?

TOM It would work of course. But there aint nothing to it and its too simple.

The boys walk home to see that the house is dark so they go to the hut to examine it. The two find a square window hole with just one stout board nailed across it.

HUCK Here’s the ticket! Jim can fit through this.

TOM Oh please, that’s almost as easy as playing hooky!

HUCK You sayin we should saw him out like that time I was murdered?

TOM That’s more like it! We can prolly find a way twice as long that s more mysterious.

Huck and Jim break into a shed next to the hut to see whats inside and if the two are connected.

TOM We can dig him out! It will take about a week.

The boys started for the house and after a couple failed attempts at Tom trying to break into the house he decided to go in the normal way.

EXT- DOWN BY THE HUT- MORNING

NIGGER MAN These witches been giving me a hard time lately. Im gonna go take this food to a very curius dog. You guys wanna see him.

TOM Course we do

HUCK This aint the plan

TOM It is now

Opening the door to the hut they see Jim

JIM Huck? Misto Tom? Is it you?

NIGGER MAN How does he know you? He just called for you!

TOM I don’t reckon he does? What put that in your mind? Who called for me?

NIGGER MAN Its these witches! Theyre making me go all crazy! Please don’t tell Mars Silas

TOM Here’s a dime. We wont tell. Go fix by some thread and fix your wool. I wonder if this nigger is gonna get hanged since he done been a runaway slave? Tom whispers to jim. TOM We gone dig you out don’t be scared.

EXT—DOWN BY THE HUT—MORNING
 * Scene/Chapter 35**

TOM This plan is so dag on boring. I wish we had a dog to poison. All we gotta do is life the bed up and slid Jim’s chain right off. It’s the stupidest arrangement I done ever seen. We better go get a saw of some sort. So we can saw the leg of Jim’s bed.

HUCK Why wait a lil second. Didn’t you jus done say someone can lift up the bed themselves?

TOM

You would think just like that would you Huck Finn? So simple minded. You’d think your name would be Huck Comegys.

Tom goes on to tell Huck how a real stealin would go but then pauses to think.

TOM Nah there aint enough need for it.

HUCK For what

TOM Saw jims leg off but he does need a rope latter. They always do.

HUCK Good land! We cant go rippin peoples legs off. But if a rope latter is part of regulations then we will use one.

TOM We gotta get him a shirt to write on and he gotta use a old spoon to write with not no feather pens. There aint none where real prisoners be. And he gotta use blood for ink. Yeah blood.

The two walk for break fast once they hear a breakfast horn. They get what they need to help get jim out.

TOM All we need is some tools to dig Jim out with. We cant be using no picks and shovels. We gotta find some case-knives. Because that’s the right way, the regular way and the only way. Maybe we can dig so far and end up in china like the one prisoner from Castle Deef.

HUCK Something done tell me that Jim aint know many people from china. I don’t care how he gets out as long as he gets out. But jim wont last with a case knife.

TOM

He will make it. But we cant take no long time doing it. I say we go for as long as we can until we tell ourselves its been a long while. Go run along and smooch them knives.

HUCK Now theres some sense.


 * Scene/Chapter 36**

EXT-AT AUNT SALLY”S HOUSE

Huck and Tom are attempting to dig their way to Jim

HUCK This ain’t no 37 year job, this is a 38 year job, Tom Sawyer. Tom sighs and stops digging

TOM We ain’t got time to do this. HUCK Well, then, what are we going to do, Tom? TOM We gotta use another way, usin picks. HUCK Now your talkin. Tom and Huck use various means to get their way to Jim. They then decide plan to bake a pie for Jim with a rope ladder in it.

TOM Looky here Huck I got an idea, I’ll make a pie for Jim. HUCK Well that’s awful nice of you… TOM There will be a rope ladder in it to!
 * Scene/ Chapter 37**

INT: AUNT SALLY”S HOUSE

Aunt Sally notice all the missing items, Huck and Tom have stolen for their plan. She takes her anger out on everyone but Huck and Tom. AUNT SALLY I’ve hunted high, and I’ve hunted low, and it does beat all, what //has// become of your other shirt. Huck begins to get nervous because he knows the stuff Aunt Sally is asking about missing they took for their plan.

AUNT SALLY It’s most uncommon curious, I can’t understand it. I know perfectly well I took it off, because-- SILAS Why, what else is gone, Sally? AUNT SALLY There are six candles gone- that’s what. The rats could of got the candles and I reckon they did.

NIGGER WOMAN Missus dey's a sheet gone

Uncle Silas looks sorrowful

SILAS I'll stoop up them holes to-day

ANOTHER HOUSE WORKER Dey's a brass candlestick miss'n

Aunt Sally appears livid with frustration

AUNT SALLY Cler out from here, you hussy, er I'll take a skillet to ye!

Aunt Sally rags on and on. Silas pulls a spoon from his pocket...

AUNT SALLY It's just as I expcted. So you had it in your pocket all the time; and like as not you've for the other things there, too. How'd it get there?

Silas looks apologetic

SILAS I reely don't know Sally. I was studying my Testament before breakfast and I reckon I put it there- meaning to put my Testament there of course instead. But I'll go and see if the Testament is where I had it and that will show that-

AUNT SALLY GIVE A BODY A REST! Don't come nigh me again till I've got back my piece of mind Tom remembers about the spoon TOM Well it ain't no use to send things by him no more, he ain't reliable. But he done us good with the spoon, anyway. so we'll go do him one without him knowing it- stop up his rat holes. INT: AUN SALLY'S CELLAR Tom and Huck plug the numerous amount of rat holes up good and tight. They then hear footsteps on the stairs, blow out their light and hide. Then comes an old man with a lit candle and a bundle of things. He looks around at every rat hole, stands absent mindedly mumbles and leaves. The boys realize they still need a spoon and set out for one. Tom slides a spoon from Aunt Sally's spoon basket up Huck's sleeve. TOM\ Aunt Sally there ain't but nine spoons

AUNT SALLY Go 'long to your play. I know better, I counted myself

TOM Well I've counted them twice Aunt any I can't make but nine Aunt Sally looks impatient but counts AUNT SALLY There ain't but nine?!

Aunt Sally counts again and counts ten this time. She appears huffy and troubled and Tom slips in the tenth spoon AUNT SALLY There's ten now!

TOM I don't think there's ten...

AUNT SALLY You numskull, didn't you see me count'm?

TOM I know but-

AUNT SALLY Well I'll count'm again! Tom takes a spoon back so there are nine again and Aunt Sally is trembling mad and was for a while as the number of spoons and the counting enraged her for a long time. The boys also kept messing with Aunt Sally by confusing her as to the true number of sheets she had. The boys go through a lot of trouble, but eventually make the pie. Nat brings the witch pie to Jim. As soon as Jim gets the pie he tears into it and hides the rope latter. JIM (chuckles)

Jim scratches some marks into the tin plate he got with the pie and throws it out of the window hole.

IXT: AUNT SALLY’S HOUSE Huck and Jim are going bored with making the pens but Tom protests it wouldn’t be right if Jim didn’t inscribe on the wall. TOM Why looky at all these names on this ole wall Huck it would be wrong if Jim don’t inscribe his name up there with the others. JIM Why Mars Tom I ain’t got no coat of arms just this ole shirt and it the only one I got TOM Oh Jim you don’t understand a coat of arms is very different HUCK Well Jim’s right anyway he ain’t got no coat of arms TOM Right now he ain’t but he sure will before he got outta this place While Jim and Huck work on making the pens, Tom tries to think of a coat of arms but he says he has thought of so many good ones he doesn’t know which one to choice. TOM I say I got the perfect coat of arms MAGGIORE FRETTA, MINORE OTTO. I got it out a book it means the more haste the less speed. HUCK Geewhillikins, but what does the rest of it mean? Huck continues to ask what it means and Jim never tells him because he it doesn’t suit him. After that Tom sits down and writes down the rest of the coat of arms the mournful inscription. JIM 1. Here a captive heart busted. 2. Here a poor prisoner forsook by the world and friends fretted his sorrowful life. 3. Here a lonely heart broke, and a worn spirit went to its rest, after thirty-seven years of solitary captivity. 4. here, homeless and friendless, after thirty-seven years of bitter captivity, perished a noble stranger, natural son of Louis XIV. There ain’t no way for me to pick just one. TOM Well it a take us a year to inscribe them all you gotta pick one, but we cant do it on this wall we needa fetch a rock. JIM It will take to long to do it in a rock the log Is much more easy TOM There is a big old rock down by the mill we can kill two birds with one stone inscribe on it and smooth a side out and finish the pens on it to. Huck and Tom leave Jim to finish working on the pens while they get the stone. The stone is too heavy for them so they go get Jim to help them. Only Jim and Huck do all the work to carry the stone back as Tom just supervises. Jim made their hole bigger to fit the rock into it, and then Tom made him work on it before he could go to bed. TOM Before ya’ll hit the sack for the night I got myself another idea, Jim you got any spiders in here. JIM Oh goodness no! and honey I don’t want any pretty soon then we be havin rattlesnakes TOM Where could you keep a rattlesnake in here Jim? JIM Oh goodness if there was a rattlesnake in here id be runin out that log wall right there. TOM Oh you wont be afraid of it long after you tame it. JIM TAME IT ! Tom and Jim go back and forth talking about different things animals and such they could put in Jim’s room and Jim doesn’t want any. Tom says that Jim pretty much needs to man up every prisoner does it and Jim says he is sorry and Huck and Tom go off to bed.
 * Scene/ Chapter 38**

**Scene/ Chapter 39** EXT: TOWN Huck and Tom go into town to get some wire rat traps and after an hour have 15 rats. They also get some snakes to put in Jim’s house. IXT: AUNT SALLY’S HOUSE It’s been about three weeks Tom has had all the rats and snakes in his house and it hates it because they always bite him. The old man has wrote the plantation that Jim belonged to 3 times to no answer so he says that he is going to put an advertisement in the paper. Huck starts to get nervous then. TOM That old man is wanting to write to a paper down there but we gotta start this last part of the plan and start writing them letters. HUCK What for? TOM To start warning these people about this runaway slave they got. Tom and Huck start to write letters to the family. AUNT SALLY Well we got another one of these letters; it says there is a gang of robbers around here tryin to steal our runaway slave. This is awful scary to me. **Scene/ Chapter 40**

INT: AUNT SALLYS HOUSE

Everyone is sitting together in the house talking and they are talking about the letters they have been getting.

AUNT SALLY Them letters we have been getting have been getting to me

UNCLE SILAS I think so to, but this ain’t somethin to be talkin about them boys

AUNT SALLY Yes boys off to bed now

Huck and Tom go off to bed, later that night Huck looks outside and sees 15 uneasy local farmers with guns around the house. So Huck and Tom go to the shed to warn Jim.

HUCK Jim its Huck and Tom let us in

JIM

What are you guys doin down here so later

HUCK There are tons of farmers with guns we gotta scurry out of here right quick

TOM This is some fun stuff

The farmers start attacking the shed

TOM Everyone out the hole and run for ya’ll life

They get out the hole and run but the farmers start shooting at them but they make it to the canoe.

HUCK NOW, old Jim, you're a free man again, and I bet

you won't ever be a slave no more.

TOM Why men I think ive been shoot

JIM We needa be finding a doctor for you then Tom

TOM

I aint be goin to see no doctor

JIM

I think it be best

HUCK Me to Jim you hide in the woods when you see the doctor a comin and you come on out when he goes on his way.

They decide to have Tom see a doctor and Jim will hide in the woods when he comes.
 * Scene/ Chapter 41**: (Huck is called Tom, and Tom is called Sid.)

EXT. OUTSIDE THE DOCTOR’S HOUSE NIGHT

HUCK: Doctor, I need your help. Me and my brother were hunting on Spanish Island yesterday afternoon, and we camped out on our raft. He must have kicked his gun in his dreams around midnight, for it went off and shot him in his leg. Can you come fix it? But you can’t say anything about this because we want to surprise our folks when we come home tonight.

DOCTOR: Who is your folks?

HUCK: The Phelpses, down yonder.

The doctor is thinks for about a minute.

DOCTOR: How’d you say he got shot?

HUCK: He had a dream and it shot him.

The doctor lights his lantern and got his bags. He and Huck walk to the river and stop at the canoe.

DOCTOR: There isn’t anyway the both of us can fit in there, its not sturdy enough.

HUCK: You needn’t be afeard, sir, she carried the three of us, easy enough.

DOCTOR: What three?

HUCK: Why, me and Sid, and- and- and the guns; that’s what I mean.

DOCTOR: Oh. Well I’m going to look for a sturdier canoe.

Looks around without any luck.

DOCTOR: Well I guess this’ll have to do. You just wait right here for me to come back.

The doctor heads out on the river in the canoe.

EXT. IN TOWN DAYTIME

Huck goes to the doctor’s house to find out if the doctor was still on the island. While in town he runs into Uncle Silas.

UNCLE SILAS: Why Tom, where have you been. Your Aunt Sally has been worried sick about you.

HUCK: Me and Sid, we was searching for the runaway nigger.

UNCLE SILAS: You must come home to show Aunt Sally that you’re safe.

INT. SILAS PHLEPS’S HOUSE DAYTIME

Huck and Uncle Silas enter. Aunt Sally laughs and cries and hugs Huck. Then she whips him lightly. AUNT SALLY: Those people who helped that nigger, everything they used, they stole it from us. I don’t understand how they did it with me and you Silas and Tom and Sid all watching day and night. They slides right in under our noses and fools us and actually get away with the nigger. They must a been sperits. Where’s Sid? Its almost night and he hasn’t come home yet.

HUCK: I’ll run up to town and get him.

AUNT SALLY: Oh no you won’t. If it gets past dinner, your Uncle Silas will go fetch him.

INT. SILAS PHELPS’S HOUSE NIGHT

Huck is getting ready for bed. Aunt Sally is tucking him in.

AUNT SALLY: The door ain’t going to be locked Tom; and there’s the window and the rod; but you’ll be good, won’t you? And you won’t go? For my sake.

Huck falls asleep.

EXT. BY JIM’S CABIN DAYTIME
 * Scene/ Chapter 42**:

The doctor walks up to the men gathered around Jim’s cabin cussing at Jim.

DOCTOR: Don’t be no rougher on him than you’re obleeged to, because he ain’t a bad nigger. When there warn’t any help I could give the boy by myself, out crawls this nigger from somewhere, and says he’ll help, and he done it very well. I knew he was the runaway nigger, so I couldn’t leave him. I never see a nigger that was a better nuss or faithfuller, and yet he was resking his freedom to do it, and was all tired out, too, and I se plain enough that he’d been worked main hard, lately. I liked the nigger for that; I tell you, gentlemen, a nigger like that is worth a thousand dollars- and kind treatment too.

INT. THE SICKROOM THE NEXT MORNING

Huck enters and watches Tom sleeping. After 30 minutes, Aunt Sally enters. Tom stirs.

TOM: Hello, why! I am at home. How is that? Where’s the raft? And Jim?

HUCK: It’s all right.

TOM: Splendid! We’re all right and safe. Did you tell Aunty?

AUNT SALLY: About what Sid?

TOM: Why about how me and Tom set the runaway nigger free!

AUNT SALLY: Dear, dear, out of his head again.

TOM: No, I ain’t out of my head. We set him free. We done it elegant, too. It took us weeks, every night whilst you was all asleep. We done it all by ourselves.

AUNT SALLY: So it was you. You little rapscallions, that’s been making all this trouble, and turned everybody’s wits inside out and scared us all most to death. Thank goodness they’ve gotten him back, safe and sound. Till he’s claimed or sold.

TOM: Hasn’t he gotten away? He’s as free a cretur that ever lived. Miss Watson set him free in her will.

AUNT SALLY: Well then what did you want to set him free for, seeing he was already free?

TOM: Well, that is a question, I must say; and just like women! Why, I wanted the //adventure// of it.

Aunt Polly enters. Aunt Sally hugs her and cries over her. Aunt Polly is peering at Tom over her glasses.

AUNT POLLY: Yes, you better turn y’r head away- I would if I was you, Tom.

AUNT SALLY: Is he changed so? Why, that ain’t Tom, it’s Sid; Tom’s- why where is Tom? He was here a minute ago.

AUNT POLLY: You mean where’s Huck Finn- that’s what you mean! I reckon I hain’t raised such a scamp as my Tom all these years, not to know him when I see him. That would be a pretty howdy-do. Come out from under that bed, Huck Finn.

Aunt Sally looks confused. Huck comes out.

AUNT POLLY: I wrote you twice to ask what you could mean by Sid being here.

AUNT SALLY: I never got ‘em, Sis.

AUNT POLLY: You, Tom! Hand out them letters.

INT. SICKROOM DAYTIME
 * Scene/ Chapter the last**:

Tom hands Jim $40.

TOM: Jim, this is for being such a good prisoner, and being so patient. JIM: Dah, now Huck, what I tell you? I tole you I’d ben rich wunst, en gwineter to be rich agin; en it’s come true.

TOM: Le’s all three slide out of here, one of these nights, and go for howling adventures amongst the Injuns, for a couple of weeks or two.

HUCK: That suits me, but I ain’t got no money to add. I don’t reckon I could get any cause Pap has prolly gotten it all away from Judge Thatcher and drunk it up.

TOM: No he hain’t, its all there, yet- six thousand dollars and more; and your pap hain’t ever been back since. Hadn’t when I come away anyhow.

JIM: He ain’t a comin’ back no mo’. Doan’ you ‘member de house dat was float’n down de river, en dey wuz a man in dah, kivered up, en I went in en unkivered him and didn’ let you come in? Well, den, you k’n git yo’ money when you wants it kase dat wuz him.

HUCK: I gotta get out of here or Aunt Sally is goin’ to adopt me and sivilize me.