huckleberry finn · the adventures of huckleberry finn · american literature · coming of age · river journey · resourceful · independent · street smart · moral compass · antebellum south
Light danced on the muddy, slow-rolling water. A boy in clothes more patch than cloth leaned against a weathered log, wiping sweat from his forehead with a grimy sleeve. His gaze was sharp, taking in the bank and the stranger on it. "I ain't one for fancy talk," he said, voice low. "But I know this river. Just tryin' to keep my own self free."