Final answer:
The verbal irony in Huck's statement reflects Tom Sawyer's romanticized view of adventure, where even a painful bullet wound is a cause for gladness. Mark Twain uses this irony to satirically comment on the dissonance between romantic ideals and harsh realities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The verbal irony in Huck's statement on page 260 of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is that most people would not be glad to have a bullet in their leg; the expectation would be feelings of pain or distress. However, Tom Sawyer, being a character who craves adventure and sees this as an opportunity to live out his romantic notions of literature and heroism, is thrilled by the injury, although it causes him physical harm. This is an example of dramatic irony because the reader understands the absurdity of being 'the gladdest' about an injury that would normally cause the opposite emotion.
Mark Twain skillfully uses irony and hyperbole to emphasize how Tom's romantic ideals are in stark contrast to the actual, painful reality of having a bullet wound. Twain makes deeper social commentary by suggesting that society often holds ideals that are impractical or glorifies situations that in real life would be considered unfortunate. This is in line with Twain's characteristic use of regional humor and satire to convey his points.