The Ransom of Red Chief.docx

The Ransom of Red Chief.docx

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TheRansomofRedChief

TheRansomofRedChief

ITLOOKEDlikeagoodthing:

butwaittillItellyou.WeweredownSouth,inAlabama--BillDriscollandmyself--whenthiskidnappingideastruckus.Itwas,asBillafterwardexpressedit,"duringamomentoftemporarymentalapparition";butwedidn'tfindthatouttilllater.

Therewasatowndownthere,asflatasaflannel-cake,andcalledSummit,ofcourse.ItcontainedinhabitantsOfasundeleteriousandself-satisfiedaclassofpeasantryaseverclusteredaroundaMaypole.

Billandmehadajointcapitalofaboutsixhundreddollars,andweneededjusttwothousanddollarsmoretopulloffafraudulenttown-lotschemeinWesternIllinoiswith.Wetalkeditoveronthefrontstepsofthehotel.Philoprogenitiveness,sayswe,isstronginsemi-ruralcommunities;thereforeandforotherreasons,akidnappingprojectoughttodobettertherethanintheradiusofnewspapersthatsendreportersoutinplainclothestostiruptalkaboutsuchthings.WeknewthatSummitcouldn'tgetafteruswithanythingstrongerthanconstablesandmaybesomelackadaisicalbloodhoundsandadiatribeortwointheWeeklyFarmers'Budget.So,itlookedgood.

WeselectedforourvictimtheonlychildofaprominentcitizennamedEbenezerDorset.Thefatherwasrespectableandtight,amortgagefancierandastern,uprightcollection-platepasserandforecloser.Thekidwasaboyoften,withbas-relieffreckles,andhairthecolourofthecoverofthemagazineyoubuyatthenews-standwhenyouwanttocatchatrain.BillandmefiguredthatEbenezerwouldmeltdownforaransomoftwothousanddollarstoacent.ButwaittillItellyou.

AbouttwomilesfromSummitwasalittlemountain,coveredwithadensecedarbrake.Ontherearelevationofthismountainwasacave.Therewestoredprovisions.Oneeveningaftersundown,wedroveinabuggypastoldDorset'shouse.Thekidwasinthestreet,throwingrocksatakittenontheoppositefence.

"Hey,littleboy!

"saysBill,"wouldyouliketohaveabagofcandyandaniceride?

"

TheboycatchesBillneatlyintheeyewithapieceofbrick.

"Thatwillcosttheoldmananextrafivehundreddollars,"saysBill,climbingoverthewheel.

Thatboyputupafightlikeawelter-weightcinnamonbear;but,atlast,wegothimdowninthebottomofthebuggyanddroveaway.WetookhimuptothecaveandIhitchedthehorseinthecedarbrake.AfterdarkIdrovethebuggytothelittlevillage,threemilesaway,wherewehadhiredit,andwalkedbacktothemountain.

Billwaspastingcourt-plasteroverthescratchesandbruisesonhisfeatures.Therewasaburningbehindthebigrockattheentranceofthecave,andtheboywaswatchingapotofboilingcoffee,withtwobuzzardtailfeathersstuckinhisredhair.HepointsastickatmewhenIcomeup,andsays:

"Ha!

cursedpaleface,doyoudaretoenterthecampofRedChief,theterroroftheplains?

"He'sallrightnow,"saysBill,rollinguphistrousersandexaminingsomebruisesonhisshins."We'replayingIndian.We'remakingBuffaloBill'sshowlooklikemagic-lanternviewsofPalestineinthetownhall.I'mOldHank,theTrapper,RedChief'scaptive,andI'mtobescalpedatdaybreak.ByGeronimo!

thatkidcankickhard."

Yes,sir,thatboyseemedtobehavingthetimeofhislife.Thefunofcampingoutinacavehadmadehimforgetthathewasacaptive,himself.HeimmediatelychristenedmeSnake-eye,theSpy,andannouncedthat,whenhisbravesreturnedfromthewarpath,Iwastobebroiledatthestakeattherisingofthesun.

Thenwehadsupper;andhefilledhismouthfullofbaconandbreadandgravy,andbegantotalk.Hemadeaduring-dinnerspeechsomethinglikethis:

"Ilikethisfine.Inevercampedoutbefore;butIhadapet'possumonce,andIwasninelastbirthday.Ihatetogotoschool.RatsateupsixteenofJimmyTalbot'saunt'sspeckledhen'seggs.ArethereanyrealIndiansinthesewoods?

Iwantsomemoregravy.Doesthetreesmovingmakethewindblow?

Wehadfivepuppies.Whatmakesyournosesored,Hank?

Myfatherhaslotsofmoney.Arethestarshot?

IwhippedEdWalkertwice,Saturday.Idon'tlikegirls.Youdassentcatchtoadsunlesswithastring.Dooxenmakeanynoise?

Whyareorangesround?

Haveyougotbedstosleeponinthiscave?

AmosMurrayhasgotSixtoes.Aparrotcantalk,butamonkeyorafishcan't.Howmanydoesittaketomaketwelve?

"

Everyfewminuteshewouldrememberthathewasapeskyredskin,andpickuphisstickrifleandtiptoetothemouthofthecavetorubberforthescoutsofthehatedpaleface.Nowandthenhewouldletoutawar-whoopthatmadeOldHanktheTrappershiver.ThatboyhadBillterrorizedfromthestart.

"RedChief,"saysItothekid,"wouldyouliketogohome?

"

"Aw,whatfor?

"sayshe."Idon'thaveanyfunathome.Ihatetogotoschool.Iliketocampout.Youwon'ttakemebackhomeagain,Snake-eye,willyou?

"

"Notrightaway,"saysI."We'llstayhereinthecaveawhile."

"Allright!

"sayshe."That'llbefine.Ineverhadsuchfuninallmylife."

Wewenttobedabouteleveno'clock.WespreaddownsomewideblanketsandquiltsandputRedChiefbetweenus.Weweren'tafraidhe'drunaway.Hekeptusawakeforthreehours,jumpingupandreachingforhisrifleandscreeching:

"Hist!

pard,"inmineandBill'sears,asthefanciedcrackleofatwigortherustleofaleafrevealedtohisyoungimaginationthestealthyapproachoftheoutlawband.Atlast,Ifellintoatroubledsleep,anddreamedthatIhadbeenkidnappedandchainedtoatreebyaferociouspiratewithredhair.

Justatdaybreak,IwasawakenedbyaseriesofawfulscreamsfromBill.Theyweren'tyells,orhowls,orshouts,orwhoops,oryalps,suchasyou'dexpectfromamanlysetofvocalorgans--theyweresimplyindecent,terrifying,humiliatingscreams,suchaswomenemitwhentheyseeghostsorcaterpillars.It'sanawfulthingtohearastrong,desperate,fatmanscreamincontinentlyinacaveatdaybreak.

Ijumpeduptoseewhatthematterwas.RedChiefwassittingonBill'schest,withonehandtwinedinBill'shair.Intheotherhehadthesharpcase-knifeweusedforslicing,bacon;andhewasindustriouslyandrealisticallytryingtotakeBill'sscalp,accordingtothesentencethathadbeenpronounceduponhimtheeveningbefore.

Igottheknifeawayfromthekidandmadehimliedownagain.But,fromthatmoment,Bill'sspiritwasbroken.Helaiddownonhissideofthebed,butheneverclosedaneyeagaininsleepaslongasthatboywaswithus.Idozedoffforawhile,butalongtowardsun-upIrememberedthatRedChiefhadsaidIwastobeburnedatthestakeattherisingofthesun.Iwasn'tnervousorafraid;butIsatupandlitmypipeandleanedagainstarock.

"Whatyougettingupsosoonfor,Sam?

"askedBill.

"Me?

"saysI."Oh,Igotakindofapaininmyshoulder.Ithoughtsittingupwouldrestit."

"You'realiar!

"saysBill."You'reafraid.Youwastobeburnedatsunrise,andyouwasafraidhe'ddoit.Andhewould,too,ifhecouldfindamatch.Ain'titawful,Sam?

Doyouthinkanybodywillpayoutmoneytogetalittleimplikethatbackhome?

"

"Sure,"saidI."Arowdykidlikethatisjustthekindthatparentsdoteon.Now,youandtheChiefgetupandcookbreakfast,whileIgouponthetopofthismountainandreconnoitre."

Iwentuponthepeakofthelittlemountainandranmyeyeoverthecontiguousvicinity.OvertowardSummitIexpectedtoseethesturdyyeomanryofthevillagearmedwithscythesandpitchforksbeatingthecountrysideforthedastardlykidnappers.ButwhatIsawwasapeacefullandscapedottedwithonemanploughingwithadunmule.Nobodywasdraggingthecreek;nocouriersdashedhitherandyon,bringingtidingsofnonewstothedistractedparents.TherewasasylvanattitudeofsomnolentsleepinesspervadingthatsectionoftheexternaloutwardsurfaceofAlabamathatlayexposedtomyview."Perhaps,"saysItomyself,"ithasnotyetbeendiscoveredthatthewolveshavehomeawaythetenderlambkinfromthefold.Heavenhelpthewolves!

"saysI,andIwentdownthemountaintobreakfast.

WhenIgottothecaveIfoundBillbackedupagainstthesideofit,breathinghard,andtheboythreateningtosmashhimwitharockhalfasbigasacocoanut.

"Heputared-hotboiledpotatodownmyback,"explainedBill,"andthemasheditwithhisfoot;andIboxedhisears.Haveyougotagunaboutyou,Sam?

Itooktherockawayfromtheboyandkindofpatcheduptheargument."I'llfixyou,"saysthekidtoBill."NomaneveryetstrucktheRedChiefbutwhathegotpaidforit.Youbetterbeware!

"

Afterbreakfastthekidtakesapieceofleatherwithstringswrappedarounditoutofhispocketandgoesoutsidethecaveunwindingit.

"What'sheuptonow?

"saysBill,anxiously."Youdon'tthinkhe'llrunaway,doyou,Sam?

"

"Nofearofit,"saysI."Hedon'tseemtobemuchofahomebody.Butwe'vegottofixupsomeplanabouttheransom.Theredon'tseemtobemuchexcitementaroundSummitonaccountofhisdisappearance;butmaybetheyhaven'trealizedyetthathe'sgone.Hisfolksmaythinkhe'sspendingthenightwithAuntJaneoroneoftheneighbours.Anyhow,he'llbemissedto-day.To-nightwemustgetamessagetohisfatherdemandingthetwothousanddollarsforhisreturn."

JustthenweheardakindOfwar-whoop,suchasDavidmighthaveemittedwhenheknockedoutthechampionGoliath.ItwasaslingthatRedChiefhadpulledoutofhispocket,andhewaswhirlingitaroundhishead.

Idodged,andheardaheavythudandakindofasighfromBill,likeahorsegivesoutwhenyoutakehissaddleoff.AniggerheadrockthesizeofanegghadcaughtBilljustbehindhisleftear.Heloosenedhimselfall