Summary Chapter 22

The mob goes to Sherburn’s house, wanting to hang him. Sherburn points a gun at them. He is scornful that they don’t have the guts to lynch him. He finds most men to be cowards. They haven’t went about the lynching properly. They don’t wear masks, and they didn’t come after dark. That means they don’t really desire to kill him. The mob disperses.

Huck sneaks into the circus. A drunk man interrupts the show. To make peace, the ringmaster lets him ride a bucking horse. This amuses everyone. It becomes obvious that he is part of the act when he sheds his cloths to reveal several costumes.

The king and duke’s show merely pays their expenses. The audience laughs at their play, which angers the duke. Everybody leaves before it is over. The duke comments the people are too low brow to enjoy Shakespeare. He prints up bills for a new play that only men can see.