CHAPTER 1.   The Widow Douglas "adopts" Huck, but he abhors home life and is "so lonesome I most wished I was dead." One night, he hears the "Me-yow! Me-yow!" signal from Tom Sawyer and sneaks out to rendezvous with his pal.

CHAPTER 2.  Huck and Tom play a trick on Jim and then form Tom Sawyer's Gang. The boys take an oath and plan to meet again in one week.

CHAPTER 3.  Huck begins going to school regularly and slowly but surely begins to feel comfortable with Widow Douglas. But Huck's superstitions are working against him, and when he enters his room one night, "there sat Pap--his own self!"

CHAPTER 4.  Pap tells Huck that he's back for Huck's money, and he wants his boy back, too. Pap promises to turn over a new leaf, but Huck knows his father will never change.

CHAPTER 5.  Pap forces Huck to join him in an old log hut after he "took me up the river about three mile in a skiff." Huck enjoys the leisure time at first, but Pap begins to beat him and Huck looks for a way to escape. Huck learns that Pap doesn't think he will win his court case, and that the Widow Douglas will win Huck away from him. Pap comes in one night roaring drunk and, after he passes out, Huck retrieves the rifle and waits for Pap to awaken.

CHAPTER 6.  Huck discovers a "drift-canoe" floating near the cabin and hides it for future use. When Pap leaves for a few hours, Huck saws his way out of the cabin and escapes down river with the skiff and canoe. But before he leaves, he "pulled out some of my hair and blooded the ax good" to fake his death so no one will follow him. He heads to Jackson's Island, where he knows it will be safe for him for a while.