Chapter 19 19. Red Chief's Ransom

Chapter One The deal looks like it might be profitable: but take my time.We Bill.Driscoll and I came down south to Alabama when the kidnapping idea came to us.Bill later described it as a fad, but we didn't expect it at the time. There's a town there, as flat as a pancake, and the name is of course Pinnacle Town.The town's inhabitants were mostly farmers, and like all the peasants who clustered around the maypole, they were healthy and happy. Bill and I had about six hundred dollars in capital, and we needed exactly two thousand more to start a sham real estate deal in Illinois.We sat on the steps of the State House and thought about it.We say that in semi-rural societies the love of children is strong; therefore, and for other reasons, a scheme for kidnapping in such a place is more effective than in other places within the circulation of a newspaper. It must be much better, because the newspapers send out plainclothes reporters and make a big splash about things like this.We knew Summit couldn't do anything strong against us other than a few cops, or a few dumb hounds, and a slap or two in the Farmer's Weekly.So the deal seemed feasible.

We selected Ebenezer, a well-known resident of the town.Dorset's only son was sacrificed.My father has a lot of status, but money is tight. He likes to make mortgages, and he is ruthless when it comes to fundraising.The kid was ten years old, with freckles in bas-relief and hair the color of the cover of the magazine you bought at the newsstand when you were catching a train.Bill and I figured that Ebenezer would obediently pay two thousand yuan as a ransom, not a penny less.But take my time. About two miles from Summit Town there is a hill covered with fir trees.There is a hole high up behind the mountain.We store food and utility items there.

One evening we drove a carriage past the old Dorset house.The kid was in the street throwing stones at a kitten on the opposite fence. hi kid!Bill said, would you like a bag of sugar and a drive around? The kid threw a broken brick and hit Bill right in the eye. This will cost the old man an extra five hundred yuan.Bill said as he climbed out of the car. The kid wrestled with us like a heavyweight brown bear; but we finally overpowered him, pinned him to the bottom of the car, and drove away.We carried him into the cave, and I tied the horse to a cedar tree.After dark, I drove to the rental town three miles away and walked back up the hill.

Bill was putting sticking plaster on the scratched and smashed places on his face.There was a fire behind a large rock at the entrance to the cave, and the child was watching over a pot of boiling coffee, with two vulture tail feathers in his red hair.As I approached, he pointed to me with a branch, and said: ha!Damn white face, how dare you walk into the camp of Red Chief, the demon king of the plains? He is fine now.said Bill, rolling up his trousers and looking at the cut on the shin, we were playing Indians.We put Buffalo.Bill's film was nothing compared to a slide show of Palestine in a town hall.I'm old Hank the hunter, Red Chief's captive, to be scalped tomorrow morning.God!That kid can really kick people.

Yes, sir, the boy was never so happy in his life.The pleasure of sleeping in a cave made him forget that he was a prisoner.He immediately named me the Spy Snake Eye, and announced that after his soldiers returned from the expedition, they would tie me to a post and burn me to death at sunrise. Later, we had supper; with his mouth full of bacon and bread and gravy, he began to talk.His speech went something like this: I really like this.I never slept rough before; but I had a wallaby, and my ninth birthday was over.I hate going to school the most.Jimmy.Sixteen of the eggs laid by Talbot's aunt's piebald hens were eaten by the mice.Are there any real Indians in these woods?I'd like some more gravy.Is it the wind that blows when the tree moves?There are five puppies in my family.Why is your nose so red, Hank?My dad has a lot of money.Are the stars hot?On Saturday I beat up Ed.Walker two meals.I don't like little girls.You can't catch toads without a rope.Can the cow bark?Why are oranges round?Is there a bed in this cave to sleep on?Amos.Murray has six toes.Starlings can talk, but monkeys and fish can't.How many times what equals twelve?

Every few minutes, remembering that he was a ferocious Indian, he picked up his branch rifle and crept to the hole to see if any hateful whites were coming to spy.Now and then he let out a battle cry that made old Hank the hunter shiver.The kid terrified Bill from the start. Red Chief, I say to the boy, do you want to go home? Oh, what are you doing at home?He said it was no fun at home.I hate going to school the most.I like sleeping rough.You won't send me home again, Snake Eyes, will you? I will not send it immediately.I said we were going to live in the cave for a while. good!That would be great, he said.I've never seen anything so interesting in my life.

We went to bed around eleven o'clock.We spread out some broad blankets and quilts, and put Red Chief in the middle.We are not afraid that he will run away.He kept us awake for three hours, jumping up every now and then, grabbing the rifle and yelling in Bill's and me's ears, Shh!Man, because in his childish imagination he heard the outlaws stalking, trampling branches or stirring leaves.Finally I fell asleep restlessly, dreaming that I was kidnapped by a vicious red-haired pirate and tied to a tree. At dawn, I was awakened by Bill's series of horrific screams.They were not like howls, yells, yells, or howls that come out of a man's vocal organs, but like the crude, horrible, humiliating screams of a woman when she sees a ghost or a caterpillar.It was an unappetizing thing to hear a stout outlaw yelling like this in a cave at daybreak.

I jumped up to see what was going on.The Red Chief is on Bill's chest, grabbing Bill's hair with one hand, and our bacon-cutting knife in the other; he's trying to scalp Bill with vigor and earnestness, following the verdict pronounced on Bill last night. I took the knife from the child's hand and told him to lie down again.But from then on, Bill was terrified.He lay on the floor where he had been, but he never dared to close his eyes again as long as the boy was with us.I fell asleep for a while, and as the sun was about to rise, I remembered that Red Chief said he would tie me to a stake and burn me.I wasn't nervous or timid; but I sat up, leaning against a rock, and lit my pipe.

What are you doing up so early, Sam?Bill asked. me?I said, oh, my shoulder hurts a bit.I thought sitting might be better. you are lying!Bill said, you are afraid.You are going to be burned to death at sunrise, and you are afraid that he can really do it.He could do it if he could find matches.It's nerve-wracking, isn't it, Sam?Do you think anyone would pay to bring such a kid back home? Of course there is.I said that this kind of naughty child is exactly what parents dote on.Now you and the chief get up and make breakfast, and I'm going to the top of the mountain to scout. I climbed to the top of the hill and surveyed the surrounding area.I thought that in the direction of Summit Town, I could see sturdy peasants with sickles and pitchforks, looking for kidnappers everywhere.But all I saw was a peaceful scene, with only one man plowing the field with a dun mule.No one was fishing in the creek; no one was running up and down to report to grieving parents that there was no news.This part of Alabama, as I saw it, had an outwardly sleepy pastoral beauty.I thought to myself: Maybe they haven't noticed that the lamb in the pen has been taken by the wolf.God bless the wolf!As I said that, I went down the mountain to have breakfast.

When I entered the cave, I saw Bill leaning his back against the cave wall, panting for breath, and the kid was threatening to throw a rock the size of half a coconut at him. He shoved a hot boiled potato up my neck, Bill explained, and crushed it with his foot; I slapped him on the ear.Do you have a gun with you, Sam? I removed the stone from the children's hands, and somehow persuaded them to quarrel, and I will clean you up.The boy told Bill that no one who beat Red Chief would escape his revenge.Just be careful! After breakfast, the boy took out of his pocket a piece of leather with a rope around it, and went outside the cave to untie it.

What is he going to do now?said Bill anxiously, you don't think he'll run away, Sam? That's nothing to worry about.I said, he doesn't look like a family-loving child.But we've got to work out a plan for the ransom.His disappearance didn't seem to be disturbing in Summit; maybe they hadn't thought of him being kidnapped yet.His family probably thought he was spending the night with his aunt or neighbors, but they would miss him today anyway.Tonight we have to send a letter to his father asking him to take two thousand dollars to redeem him. At this point we hear a cry, just as David might have uttered when he felled Goliath.What Red Chief had pulled out of his pocket was a sling, and he was swinging it over his head. I quickly moved away, only to hear a heavy poof, and Bill sighed, like a horse sighing after being unsaddled.A black stone the size of a pebble hit Bill just behind his left ear.He fell, as if falling apart, onto a pot of hot water simmering on the fire for washing dishes.I dragged him out, poured cold water on his head, and tossed for half an hour. After a while, Bill sat up, touched the back of his ear, and said, "Sam, do you know who I like best in the Bible?" take it easy.I said, your sanity will be clear in a moment. My favorite is King Herod[Note].He said, You won't go away and leave me here alone, Sam? [Note] Herod: "New Testament.Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Matthew records that when Jesus was born, the doctor predicted that Jesus would become the king of Judea. The then Jewish king Herod ordered to kill all boys under two years old in Bethlehem for fear of fulfillment. I went out and grabbed the kid and shook him until his freckles rattled. If you are dishonest again, I said, I will send you home right away.Hey, do you still want to make trouble? I was only joking.He said unhappily, I didn't mean to hurt old Hank.But why did he beat me?I promise not to make trouble, Snake Eye, as long as you don't send me home and let me play Black Detective today. I will not play this game.I said, that's up to you to discuss with Mr. Bill.Let him play with you today.I have something to go out for a while.Now you come in and say good things to him, and if you hit him, you have to apologize to him, or you will be sent home immediately. I let him shake Bill's hand, then took Bill aside and told him I was going to Poplar, three miles from the cave, to find out what the kidnapping was doing in Summit.I also thought of sending a letter to old Dorset that very day, demanding the ransom, and instructing him how to pay it. You know, Sam, Bill said, whether landslides, through thick and thin, playing poker, using dynamite, evading the police, robbing trains, weathering hurricanes, I'm always with you through thick and thin, without batting an eye.I was never discouraged until we kidnapped that two-legged meteor.He frightened me.You won't let me stay long with him, Sam? I'll be back this afternoon.I said, you're going to make the kid happy and quiet until I come back.Now let us write to old Dorset. Bill and I got a pen and paper and started writing.Wrapped in a blanket, Red Chief strutted up and down, guarding the cave entrance.Bill tearfully begged me to reduce the ransom from two thousand to fifteen.He said: "I don't want to belittle parental affection on a moral level, but we're dealing with people and it's inhumane to ask anyone to come up with two thousand dollars to buy back this forty-pound freckled feral cat." .I'd rather have fifteen thousand.The difference is debited in my name. Chapter two To reassure Bill, I agreed.We collaborated on the following letter: Ebenezer.Mr Dorset: We hid your child somewhere far from Summittown.It will be in vain for you, or the most skilful detective, to find him.You want him to come back to you only if you fulfill the following conditions: We want fifteen hundred dollars (in large cash) as his ransom; this money must be placed in the same place and in the same box where the reply letter was placed at midnight today The details will be explained below.If you agree to our terms, send a letter to reply at 8:30 tonight.On the way to Poplar Village, after crossing the Owl River, there are three large trees about a hundred yards apart near the fence in the wheat field on the right.There was a small cardboard box under the fence stake opposite the third tree. After the messenger puts the reply letter into the box, he must return to Summit Town immediately. If you try to play tricks, or don't comply with our demands, you will never see your children again. If you pay the money according to our conditions, the child can return home safely within three hours.There is no room for negotiation on these conditions. If you do not agree, we will not contact you in the future. Two outlaws Kai. I wrote an envelope to Dorset, and carried it in my pocket.As I was about to start, the boy ran up and said: Hey, Snake Eye, you said I can play Black Scout after you leave, right? Of course you can play.I said, Mr. Bill will play with you.How is this game played? I'll be black scout, said Red Chief, and I'll ride up to the stock to warn the folks that the Indians are coming.I'm tired of playing Indian.I want to be a black detective. All right.I said, I see no harm in that.Mr. Bill will help you fight off those troublesome wildlings. what I do?asked Bill, looking at the child suspiciously. You make a horse.The black detective said, you lie on the ground.How can I get to the stockade without a horse? You'd better join his interest, I said, wait until our plan is realized.Think about it. Bill fell down on his stomach, with the look of a rabbit in a trap in his eyes. How far is it to the stockade, boy?he asked hoarsely. Ninety miles.The black detective said, you have to work hard to get there in time.Oh, let's go! The black detective jumped on Bill's back and kicked him in the waist with his heels. For heaven's sake, Bill said, come back as fast as you can, Sam.Had we known this, it would have been nice if the ransom we asked for did not exceed 1,000 yuan.Hey, don't kick me, or I'll stand up and beat you up. I walked to Baiyang Village and sat in the post office and shop for a while, chatting with the peasants who came in to buy things.A bearded man said he heard Ebenezer.Dorset's son was lost or kidnapped, and the town of Summit was abuzz.That's what I'm looking for.I bought some tobacco, talked casually about the price of broad beans, secretly posted a letter, and left.The postmaster said the postman would come and pick up the mail within the hour and deliver it to Summit. When I got back to the cave, Bill and the kid were gone.I searched the vicinity of the cave, and ventured to call out once or twice, but there was no reply. I just lit my pipe and sat by the mossy hole and waited. After half an hour or so, I heard a branch rattle, and Bill staggered to a small clearing in front of the cave.Behind him was the boy, creeping like a scout, smiling.Bill stopped, took off his hat, and wiped his face with a red handkerchief.The child stopped eight feet behind him. Sam, said Bill, I thought you might call me a liar, but I couldn't help it.I am an upright man, with a man's temper and the habit of self-defense, but there are times when my self-esteem and superiority completely collapse.The child is gone.I sent him home.It's all over.There were some martyrs in ancient times who would rather die than give up something they loved.But none of them endured such inhuman torture as I experienced.I would love to abide by our code of plunder; but there is a limit. What's the matter, Bill?I asked him. I was ridden, Bill said, ninety miles to the stockade, not missing an inch.Afterwards, the inhabitants were rescued and gave me oatmeal.Sand is no good substitute.Then I pestered him for another hour, explaining to him why the hole was empty, why the road could go back and forth, and why the grass was green.I tell you, Sam, there's only so much one can take.I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him down the hill.Along the way, he kicked my calf until it was black and blue; he also bit my thumb and palm two or three times. But he left at last, Bill went on, and went home.I showed him the way to Summit and kicked him eight feet in that direction.I'm sorry I can't get the ransom; but otherwise, Bill.Driscoll was going to a madhouse. Bill was still out of breath, but there was an expression of indescribable ease and growing complacency on his ruddy face. Bill, let me say, have any of your relatives suffered from heart disease? No, Bill said, no chronic diseases other than malaria and sudden death.Why are you asking me? Then you might as well turn around, I said, and see what is behind you. third chapter Bill looked back and saw the boy; he was very pale, and he sat down on the ground and began to pull grass and twigs aimlessly.I worried about his nerves for an hour.Afterwards I said to him that my plan would settle the matter at once.If old Dorset agrees to our terms, we'll get the ransom at midnight and fly away.Bill finally pulled himself together, gave the boy a forced smile, and promised to play Russians and Japanese wars with him when he felt better. I have a ransom scheme that is not in danger of falling into a trap and should be made public and shared with fellow kidnappers who specialize in kidnapping.The tree from which I had told Dorset to put the money after the reply was near the fence on the road, with open fields on all sides.If a gang of policemen were waiting for the person who came to fetch the letter, they could see him coming down the road from a long way off, or across the fields.But it's not that simple, sir!At half past eight, I climbed up the tree, hid like a tree frog, and waited for the messenger to come. At the appointed time, a half-grown child came on the road on a bicycle. He found the cardboard box under the fence post, put a piece of folded paper in it, and then rode back in the direction of Dingfeng Town. I waited an hour, deciding that there would be no surprises.I slipped down from the tree, took the paper, and ran along the fence into the woods, and was back in the cave in half an hour.I opened the note, leaned against the light, and read it to Bill.The note was written in pencil and was very scribbled, and it read: Two Desperado Gentlemen: I received your letter today concerning the redemption of my son.I think your requirements are a bit high, so I am here to make a counter-proposal, which I believe you are likely to accept.You send Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars, and I'll agree to take him from you.You'd better come at night, because the neighbors think he's lost.If they see someone sending him back, I can't be responsible for what methods they will use to deal with you. Great Pirates of Penzance, I say, what the hell is wrong But I glanced at Bill and hesitated.I have never seen that pleading look in his eyes, either in the face of a dumb beast or a talking animal. Sam, he said, what was two hundred and fifty dollars after all?We have the money on hand.One more night with this kid is sure to send me to a madhouse.I think that Mr. Dorset is not only a gentleman through and through, but also a man who is too generous to make such generous conditions.You're not going to pass up this opportunity, are you? To tell you the truth, Bill, I say, this little ram was a nuisance to me, too.We sent him home, paid the ransom, and got away. We sent him home that night.We told him that his father had bought him a rifle with a silver handle and a pair of moccasin boots, and that he would take him to hunt bears the next day, and finally tricked him away. It was twelve o'clock when we knocked on Ebenezer's front door.According to the original terms, we should have taken fifteen hundred dollars from the box under the tree, but now Bill counted out two hundred and fifty dollars to Dorset. The kid snarled like a locomotive when he realized we were going to keep him at home, and chomped on Bill's leg like a leech.His father slowly peeled him off like plaster. How long can you hold him?Bill asked. I'm not as strong as I used to be, said old Dorset, but I think I can give you ten minutes. enough.In ten minutes, Bill said, I could go through the central, southern and midwestern states and head straight to the Canadian border. As dark as it was and as fat as Bill was and as fast as I was, by the time I caught up with him he had Summit a mile and a half behind him.