Meanwhile, Huck Finn, who is watching to discover Injun Joe's hideout, follows the two men toward Cardiff Hill, the home of the Widow Douglas and of a Welshman named Jones. Hiding behind a bush, he overhears Injun Joe telling of his intentions to mutilate the Widow Douglas because her husband, the judge, had once had him publicly horsewhipped. Huck hastens to inform Mr. Jones of the plot, and the Welshman and his sons drive off the vicious Injun Joe and his cohort. Huck has been so frightened that he becomes seriously ill, and the Widow Douglas comes to the Welshman's home and nurses the homeless boy back to health.
At the same time, it is discovered that Tom and Becky are missing; they have not been seen since the cave. All the available men in the community meet and carry out a thorough search of the cave. Tom and Becky hear the search party in the distance but are too weak to call loudly enough to be heard. At one point in their ordeal, Tom catches sight of Injun Joe in a nearby passage. After they have been underground for about three days, Tom discovers a way out of the cave. He and Becky then make their way back to the town.
Both are sick for a while, but Tom recovers more quickly than does Becky. Tom also discovers that Judge Thatcher has had the second exit to the cave completely sealed off. Tom reveals that Injun Joe was in the cave. In spite of Injun Joe's evil, Tom cannot let any human face the ordeal of starving that he and Becky just endured. The men go back to the cave and discover Injun Joe's body just inside the cave where he had futilely tried to dig his way out with a knife.
Later, Tom and Huck return to the cave and search for Injun Joe's treasure. After many false starts and using various clues, they recover approximately $12,000 worth of gold coins. This money is invested for them, and they are rich. The Widow Douglas takes Huck into her home to educate him and train him in the ways of civilization. Huck finds schooling, not cussing, and all other things connected with civilization to be completely intolerable, and he runs away. He eventually agrees to give civilized living another try if he can join Tom's band of robbers.
