Bandits!

Ronald woke to smell bacon frying. Hurriedly he got ready and ate. Mr. Wilks waved as Ronald left. This was the last that Ronald would see of civilization for a long time.

Ronald had decided to find the man called Kelton and get the clue. He walked at a fast pace for a time, and then slowed down. The scenery was beautiful. Ronald crossed several mountain streams that day. When the sun began to go down he made camp. After eating, he went to bed and almost immediately fell asleep.

He was dreaming that he was back with Ovie, Pat and Mike and that Mike was kicking him when he woke up. It was still dark. He lay there for a second, and then he felt someone kick him again. Sitting up, he turned around. A tough looking man stood watching him. Ronald, looked around, and saw more men nearby.

“Get up.” The man said, kicking him again.

Ronald winced as the man’s foot hit his sore ribs. He quickly stood up. He slid on his boots under the watchful eyes of the man. “Come on.” The man said, with a snarl.

Ronald stumbled along in front of the man. “Not this again!” he groaned.

“What did you say?” The man growled.

“Are there any cliffs around here?” asked Ronald, apprehensively.

“Yes, a couple.” the man answered.

“I was afraid of that.” Ronald said, with a sigh.

The man looked at him sharply. They reached a narrow path that led along the face of a cliff. A while later, they passed a guard. The man stopped and spoke and then continued on the path.

Ronald was beginning to feel dizzy when, finally, the path widened, and they came to a cave. Going in Ronald saw a fire with several men sitting around it. The man with Ronald shoved him into the light. One of the men, obviously the leader, rose. He looked at Ronald. Then he turned to the man. “Did he give you any trouble?”

“No, sir.”

“Did he say anything?” The leader asked.

“Yes, sir.” said the man, “On the way here, he asked me if there were any cliffs around here, I told him there were a couple and he said, ‘I was afraid of that.’ And then he sighed.”

“He said those exact words?”

“Yes, sir.” answered the man, “And when he was on the path along the cliff he looked sick.”

The leader turned to Ronald, an evil look in his eyes. “So, boy, you’re afraid of cliffs, aye?” he said.

“I never said that.” Ronald replied calmly, but inside he was quaking.

“Hear that, lads? The boy says he didn’t say that.”

Then he turned back to Ronald and continued, “Why are you afraid of cliffs?”

Ronald glared silently at the leader.

Just then the man interrupted the leader, “Sir, I just remembered something else, he called me Mike when we were waking him up.”

The leader’s eyebrows went up, “Mike?”

“Yes, sir.”

The leader turned to Ronald and asked, “Is your name Ronald?”

“Well, actually, it is.” Ronald said, surprised that the man knew his name.

“So, it was you that sent our buddies to prison then.” The leader said, angrily.

Ronald was puzzled.

“Buddies? I don’t think I know what you’re talking about.” He said.

“Our buddies, Mike, Ovie and Pat.” The leader growled.

Suddenly Ronald understood. These were friends of his former captors!

“I shall get revenge for them!” the leader shouted.

Ronald was silent.

The leader frowned angrily. “Well, we don’t want to throw you over our cliff because it’s right at our door. But, we can throw you in the pit.” He said, with a fiendish smile.

“Yea!” shouted the men.

One look from their leader silenced them. Ronald had grown pale when the leader had said “The pit.”

“So, you’re scared, little boy.” The leader said.

Ronald said nothing. “Throw him in the pit!” screamed the leader in rage; he didn’t like Ronald’s silence.

Ronald was dragged off. A distance from camp they tied him and then threw him in a fifteen-foot-deep pit. Ronald cried out with pain as his ankle hit the rocks below. The men above laughed, and then they left.

End of Chapter Six