I'll leave literary speculation to others, but if you reeeeally want to be
annoyed consider that when it came time for the publisher to choose an
illustration from the book to use in their advertising envelope and poster,
they chose the illustration of the king dressed as a pirate at the camp
meeting (p. 174).  Not Huck, or Jim, or any of the plot-advancing or
theme-enriching moments of the book, but the king decked out like Yosemite
Sam. That's what they thought would entice buyers.

Kevin Mac Donnell
Austin TX