Number Two
Number Two is a cryptic designation that becomes the central object of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn's treasure hunt after they overhear Injun Joe use the phrase during the haunted house episode. The name refers to a specific location—a locked room at the Temperance Tavern in St. Petersburg—that the boys believe holds the stolen gold. The mystery of Number Two drives a significant portion of the narrative's suspense, as Tom and Huck attempt to decipher its meaning and gain access to the treasure it conceals.
Origin and Meaning of the Designation
The designation "Number Two" first appears when Injun Joe and his companion discuss where to move the treasure box they have just unearthed in the haunted house. Injun Joe rejects the idea of reburying it at the original spot, saying, "No—Number Two—under the cross. The other place is bad—too common." This exchange, overheard by Tom and Huck hiding in the upstairs of the haunted house, immediately captures the boys' attention. The phrase is deliberately vague, functioning as a code name that only the criminals understand. Tom and Huck later deduce that "Number Two" must refer to a room number in one of the town's two taverns, since St. Petersburg has no house numbers. Tom investigates and finds that at the Temperance Tavern, Room No. 2 is kept locked at all times, with the tavern-keeper's son reporting that he never sees anyone enter or leave it except at night, and that he has noticed a light in there on previous nights. This confirms for Tom that they have identified the correct location.
The Boys' Attempt to Access Number Two
Armed with this knowledge, Tom and Huck plan to break into Number Two on a dark night. Tom collects all the keys he can find from his aunt's house, and Huck agrees to stand watch while Tom tries them in the lock. On Thursday night, the conditions are finally favorable: the tavern closes early, its lights are extinguished, and the night is pitch black. Tom creeps into the alley, but when he tries the keys, they make too much noise and will not turn. In his nervousness, he accidentally turns the doorknob and discovers the door is unlocked. He steps inside and, to his horror, nearly steps on Injun Joe's hand—the outlaw is lying on the floor, sound asleep and apparently drunk. Tom flees in terror, and the boys abandon their plan to retrieve the treasure that night, deciding instead to watch the tavern every night until they see Injun Joe leave, then snatch the box.
The Fate of Number Two and the Treasure
Huck's subsequent surveillance of the tavern leads him to follow Injun Joe and his companion on the night they attempt to attack the Widow Douglas, an event that derails the boys' treasure hunt. When Huck later falls ill with fever, he asks the Widow Douglas, who is nursing him, whether anything has been discovered at the Temperance Tavern. She tells him only that liquor was found and the place has been shut up. Huck concludes that the treasure is lost forever, since nothing but whiskey was recovered. However, Tom later reveals to Huck that the money was never in Number Two at all—it was hidden in McDougal's Cave, under a cross marked on the rock with candle-smoke, exactly where Injun Joe had said. The designation "Number Two" thus proves to be a red herring, a false trail that leads the boys to a dangerous confrontation with Injun Joe but ultimately to a dead end, while the real treasure remains hidden in the cave until Tom's later discovery.
