Explain the verbal irony in Huck's statement in Chapter 40: "We was all glad as we could be, but Tom was the gladdest of all because he had a bullet in the calf of his leg."

For Tom, Jim's escape was another adventure game. The bullet in his calf was a badge of courage for himself and had nothing to do with the fact that they heaped free Jim. Tom likes his validation both internal and especially external.