e
             and then I tied up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep the
             witches away" (246). When he knocks over the salt-cellar at the breakfast
             table, he also throws a pinch of salt over his shoulder to "keep off the
             bad luck" (253). These scenes allow us some insight into Huck's character.
             He is aware of ghosts and that they desire to communicate with us. More
             importantly, when something happens that is an omen of bad luck, Huck is
             apt to act out a scenario that supposedly removes the bad luck.
             In addition, Jim uses a hairball to work magic. When Huck wants to know
             about Pap, "Jim got out his hair-ball and said something over it, and then
             he held it up and dropped it on the floor." (254). Jim believes the
             hairball speaks to him. Huck later tells us, "Jim knowed all kinds of
             signs" (271). This is significant because Huck has a certain respect for
             Jim and believes what he tells Huck.
             Huck and Jim also believe in ghosts. We learn this early in the story
             when Huck hears that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to
             tell about something that's on its mind and can't make itself understood"
             (245). This is clear when he mistakes Huck for a ghosts and immediately
             "drops down on his knees, and puts his hands together and says:
             Doan' hurt me -- don't! I hain't ever done no harm to a ghos'. I
             alwuz liked dead people, en done all I could for 'em. You go en git
             in de river agin, whah you b'longs, en doan' do nuffn to Ole Jim, at
             uz awluz yo' fren'" (268). When Jim sees a flock of birds flying
             overhead, he tells Huck that it is an indication of rain. In
             addition, when Huck wants to catch some of those birds, he says, "Jim
             wouldn't let me. He said it was death" (270).
             ...