Huck wakes up and hears booming noises. It is a ferry with everyone from town on it, looking for his carcass. They get close to him, but they don't see him.
He spends the next couple of days on the island. He likes it, but he gets lonely sometimes. He fishes, hunts, and gathers fruit and berries. He comes across a campfire that is smoking and gets nervous, so he hides in a tree. He leaves the Missouri bank and paddles over to the Illinois shore. He feels better over there, until he hears more noises and a man's voice. Huck leaves and goes back to his old place. He looks around and comes across a fire and sees a man lying next to it. When the man gets up, Huck sees that it is Miss Watson's slave Jim. Jim thinks he is seeing a ghost, but Huck assures him that he isn't dead. They make breakfast and talk.
Jim tells Huck that Miss Watson was going to sell him, so he ran off. He tells Huck all about his escape and how he found out Huck was dead. They talk about superstitions and signs. Jim is certain that one day he'll be rich again because he has hairy arms. Jim says he feels rich already because he owns himself, now that he is free.
"'Yes-en I's rich now, come to look at it. I owns mysef, en I's wuth eight hund'd dollars. I wisht I had de money, I wouldn' want no'.'" Chapter 8, pg. 52
