In Chapters Forty and Forty-one of Mark Twain's
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the boys (following one of
Tom's "hare-brained" schemes) decide to help Jim escape his captivity. In the ruckus
that ensues this "escape," Tom is shot in the calf of his leg. Forever acting out some
novel or another, he dramatically tells Jim to run for it—and to leave Tom behind to
fend for himself. Jim, however, absolutely refuses to leave Tom, showing that his love
for the boys and their well-being is more important than even his own
freedom.
So Huck leaves Jim and Tom on the raft and goes
for a doctor. The doctor agrees to help, though he is suspicious, but he will only go
out in the canoe by himself, believing it won't carry more than one person. Huck returns
home and Aunt Sally eventually clears the house of all the visitors there because of the
threatening letter and/or Jim's escape. She then tucks Huck in. He has plans to go to
the raft to check on Tom, but Aunt Sally begs him not to
leave.
Laws
knows I wanted to go bad enough to see about Tom, and was all intending to go; but after
that I wouldn't 'a' went, not for
kingdoms.
Aunt Sally is
already worried about Tom and doesn't want to "lose" the one boy that
is home. She is so loving and kind to Huck that he doesn't have the
heart to go. It is for this reason that Huck does not check out Tom's condition, while
he is wounded and on the raft.
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