What is at the center of Huckleberry Fin Chapters 8-11?

1. chapter 8

1.1. I spare miss Watson's Jim

1.2. When Huck wakes up the next morning, everyone is out on the river searching for his body.

1.3. As time goes by, Huck senses he's not alone on the island, and by "sense" we mean he finds someone else there. Namely Jim, Miss Watson's slave and the man with the magic hairball.

2. chapter 9

2.1. the house of death floats by

2.2. Serious issues of slavery and morality aside, Huck is a kid on an island, which means some exploring is clearly in order.

2.3. He and Jim head toward the middle of an island and find a cavern. After hiding their canoe and supplies, they hide out during a storm and eat dinner.

3. chapter 10

3.1. what comes of handling' snake-skin

3.2. Jim had predicted bad luck the day before on account of Huck touching a snakeskin with his hand.

3.3. Huck feels awful but isn't about to let on that the whole thing is his fault. Still, he follows Jim's detailed instructions to ward off any more bad luck.

4. chapter 11

4.1. they're after us!

4.2. At first, she says, everyone thought Huck's Pap was the man responsible, but then they decided it was Jim, since he ran away on the same night of the murder.

4.3. There's a reward out for both men: $200 for Pap, who ran away, afraid of getting lynched, and $300 for Jim.