After a while, I came up with a plan to find Jim. But I had a few things to do first.
I took the raft about a kilometer down the river and hid it in bushes on the shore.
I spent the night there, safe from the duke and the king.
The next morning, I changed into my good clothes—the ones that the two scoundrels had bought me.
I wrapped my other belongings into a bundle and hid it on the riverbank too. Then I set out for Pikesville.
The first person I saw was the duke.
He was hammering up a sign for the Royal Nonesuch.
"I'm very glad to see you," said the duke.
"We couldn't find you and the raft last night."
"Oh," I lied, "I was helping a man move some sheep downriver, and the raft sank. It's gone."
The duke looked unhappy about that, but there was nothing he could do.
"I'm looking for Jim," I continued. "I can't find him anywhere."
"The king, the old fool, sold him for forty dollars," the duke said.
"And by the time you and I reached the tavern yesterday, he had already lost the money by gambling.
That's why we have to put on the Royal Nonesuch again—we have no money."
"But Jim was my property!" I protested. "You must tell me who bought him."
The duke lied. He gave me the wrong name for the owner and gave me the wrong directions to find his house.
He said it would take me three days to reach the home of the man who had bought Jim.
I realized that the duke didn't want me around anymore.
It was time for me to get away for good.
When the duke walked away to put up more signs, I asked someone how to get to Mr. Phelps' house.
It was very near Pikesville, and I arrived quickly.
The house was tidy, with a large fenced yard and a row of little slave cabins behind it.
No one was in sight. It was mid-morning, so the slaves were likely working in the cotton fields already.
As I walked into the yard, a pack of dogs surrounded me, barking loudly.
A black servant ran out of the kitchen, waving a rolling pin, and made the dogs go away.
A moment later, a white lady hurried out of the house, followed by several small children.
She smiled at me and exclaimed, "It's you, at last! We're so happy to finally meet you."
I was surprised, but I decided to play along.
"Me too," I said, as she gave me a big hug.
"Look, children. This is your cousin Tom," she said, and they hugged me too.
"I'm sorry I was delayed, ma'am," I said, thinking quickly.
"The boat I was traveling on got caught on a sandbar.
I had to get off and walk the rest of the way."
"Please, call me Aunt Sally," she said and brought me into the house.
She asked where my baggage was, and I said that I'd left it on the riverbank, where I could get it later.
Aunt Sally explained that her husband, Mr. Silas Phelps, had gone to the boat dock to meet me.
Then she said, "But I've been talking too much.
Please tell me all the news about my sister and the rest of the family."
Now I was in trouble! But before I could say anything, Aunt Sally jumped up from her chair.
"There's Uncle Silas now," she said. "I hear his wagon coming into the yard."
She hurried outside, and I heard her call, "Silas, who do you think has arrived while you were gone? It's our nephew—Tom Sawyer!"
Uncle Silas came inside and shook my hand eagerly.
Then the whole family asked me questions about my Aunt Polly and my brother, Sid.
Now that I knew they thought I was Tom Sawyer, it was easy to answer their questions.
It was very pleasant to be treated so kindly.
But I knew the good times couldn't last. The real Tom would soon arrive.
How could I stop him from giving away my true identity?
I decided I'd have to meet Tom on the road before he reached the house.
I would explain that I wanted to free Jim, and he would help me make a plan.
I asked Uncle Silas if I could take his wagon and go down the road to get my baggage, and he agreed. Off I went.
As I had hoped, I saw Tom coming toward me on the road.
As he got close to the wagon, I called out to him.
Tom dropped his bag and stared at me in horror.
"I never did you any harm," he cried. "Please don't come back and haunt me!"
"It's me—Huck," I said, "and I'm not dead."
I let Tom pinch my arm to see that I was really alive and not a ghost.
He was very surprised to see me, and very happy too.
On the way back to the Phelps' place, I told him all the things that had happened to me since I had run away from Pap.
Then I explained how I had fooled his aunt and uncle, and why I had to keep fooling them until I found a way to rescue Jim.
"I know the law says it's stealing," I said, "but I have to do it. Will you help me?"