Page 14 - The English Carnival 7

“What’s he up to now?” says Bill, anxiously. “You don’t think he’ll run away, do you,

Sam?”
“No fear of it,” said I. “He doesn’t seem to be much of a home body. But we’ve
got to fix up some plan about the ransom. There don’t seem to be much excitement

around Summit on account of his disappearance; but maybe they haven’t realized yet
that he’s gone. His folks may think he’s spending the night with Aunt Jane or one of
the neighbours. Anyhow, he’ll be missed to-day. Tonight we must get a message to
his father demanding the two thousand dollars for his return.”

Just then we heard a kind of war-whoop, such as David might have emitted when he
knocked out the champion Goliath. It was a sling that Red Chief had pulled out of his
pocket, and he was whirling it around his head.

I dodged, and heard a heavy thud and a kind of a sigh from Bill, like a horse gives
out when you take his saddle off. A niggerhead rock the size of an egg that had

caught Bill just behind his left ear. He loosened himself all over and fell in the fire
across the frying pan of hot water for washing the dishes. I dragged him out and
poured cold water on his head for half an hour.
By and by, Bill sits up and feels behind his ear and says: “Sam, do you know who

my favourite Biblical character is?”

“Take it easy,” said I. “You’ll come to your senses presently.”
“King Herod,” says he. “You won’t go away and leave me here alone, will you,
Sam?”

I went out and caught that boy and shook him until his freckles rattled.

“If you don’t behave,” says I, “I’ll take you straight home. Now, are you going to be
good, or not?”

“I was only funning,” says he sullenly. “I didn’t mean to hurt Old Hank. But what
did he hit me for? I’ll behave, Snake-eye, if you won’t send me home, and if you’ll let
me play the Black Scout to-day.”

“I don’t know the game,” says I. “That’s for you and Mr. Bill to decide. He’s your
playmate for the day. I’m going away for a while, on business. Now, you come in
and make friends with him and say you are sorry for hurting him, or home you go,
at once.”

I made him and Bill shake hands, and then I took Bill aside and told him I was going
to Poplar Cove, a little village three miles from the cave, and find out what I could

about how the kidnapping had been regarded in Summit. Also, I thought it best to
send a peremptory letter to old man Dorset that day, demanding the ransom and
dictating how it should be paid.

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