Mark Twain
English
This story, set in the spring after Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn helped Jim escape slavery, begins with Tom and Huck suffering from "spring fever" and a longing for adventure. Tom's Aunt Polly receives a letter summoning Tom to his Aunt Sally's farm in Arkansas due to trouble with a neighbor named Brace Dunlap. Brace wants to marry Sally's daughter, Benny, but she has refused him. Brace's brother, Jubiter, a lazy and untrustworthy individual, is also causing trouble by aggravating Uncle Silas, a preacher, into fits of rage. Tom and Huck are excited by the prospect of a trip, despite Aunt Polly's initial disapproval. On their journey down the Mississippi, they encounter a mysterious passenger named Phillips, who is later revealed to be Jake Dunlap, the presumed-dead twin brother of Jubiter. Jake is a fugitive, on the run from criminals who are after him. He recounts a daring diamond heist in St. Louis and his subsequent escape. He fears his life is in danger as his pursuers are on the same boat. He plans to disguise himself and hide with his brother Brace. Later, while docked in a small town, Jake attempts to escape his pursuers. He believes he has succeeded and is heading towards his brother Brace's farm. However, Tom and Huck witness a commotion in the woods and later see what they believe to be Jake's ghost. Tom, ever the astute observer, deduces that it was not a ghost but Jake himself, who faked his death to throw off his pursuers. He pretends to be deaf and dumb to avoid detection. Meanwhile, Jubiter Dunlap has gone missing, causing concern for his family and Uncle Silas. Tom and Huck, suspecting foul play, assist in the search for Jubiter, eventually finding his body buried in the tobacco field. Uncle Silas, overwhelmed by guilt and fear, confesses to having struck Jubiter in a fit of rage, believing he had killed him. However, during the subsequent trial, Tom, through his sharp deductions and observations, reveals the true culprits. Brace Dunlap, along with accomplices Lem Beebe and Jim Lane, orchestrated a complex scheme. Brace, seeking revenge on Uncle Silas for Benny's refusal, manipulated Jubiter and framed Uncle Silas for murder. The real murder victim was Jake Dunlap, killed by his own accomplices, Bud Dixon and Hal Clayton, who were also involved in the diamond heist. Brace then disguised Jubiter as a deaf-mute stranger to further his plan, and later, with the help of bribed witnesses, falsely accused Uncle Silas of Jubiter's murder. Tom exposes the truth: Jake was the one killed, Brace buried him, and Jubiter, alive all along, was impersonating a deaf-mute. The diamonds, hidden in Jubiter's boot heels, are recovered. Brace Dunlap and his associates are arrested, Uncle Silas is exonerated, and the family's honor is restored.
