An Escape and a Slip

Ronald, after they left, looked at his ankle, which was already swelling. “I believe that I broke it.” moaned Ronald, “Why do I always fall and break something every time I run into thieves of some sort!”

His ankle hurt so badly he could hardly think. Looking around he saw some sticks on the far side of the pit.

“Ah, maybe I could use those to support my ankle.” Ronald thought.

Then he remembered that he was tied. Looking around, he saw a sharp stone sticking out of the wall. Wiggling over to it, he got the ropes around his wrists up to it. It took him over an hour to saw through them. When he was finished his hands were scraped and bleeding. He untied his ankles. He tried standing up but sat down because of pain. He carefully felt his ankle. The pain brought tears to his eyes. He dragged himself over to the sticks he had seen. Picking one up, he studied it. Suddenly he realized, with horror, that it wasn’t a stick, it was a bone! After thinking for a moment, he decided to use it until he found something better. So, with disgust, he picked it up again, placing it against his ankle. Using a strip of cloth, he tore off the bottom of his shirt, he wrapped it around his leg. Looking around, he spotted a large stick in the corner that would be perfect for a crutch. He picked it up, then he studied his prison. He realized that the walls slanted slightly outwards. Studying it more carefully he decided that he might be able to climb out. He was afraid that his ankle would make it impossible, but he decided to try anyway.

Ronald began climbing upwards. At first, it was very hard, but soon he figured out how to hold his ankle so that it was easier. He was getting tired when he reached the top. Lifting his head, he carefully checked to see that the bandits had actually left. They had, so he climbed out and hid in the bushes. There he rested for a moment. Suddenly he remembered his donkey. It hadn’t been found, at least not when he was captured. Ronald had put the donkey in a small clearing a little way from the camp, which was thickly surrounded by trees. If he could find the donkey, he would have all his supplies back. Ronald checked to see he that was headed the right direction, and then set off. As he hobbled along, he tried to figure out what he would do if the donkey was gone. His father had taught him how to live off the land, but without a gun, he couldn’t get meat.

Ronald saw some herbs his father had told him were good for healing broken bones. So, he picked some. He would need water to make the poultice, but he had water in his canteens, and if he didn’t find the donkey, there was streams everywhere.

Ronald was growing cold, it was late fall. His father had told him he should wait until spring to start his journey, but Ronald said that he couldn’t wait nearly six months.

Ronald finally reached the clearing. The sun would rise soon. Thankfully the donkey was still there. Ronald set off immediately. The bandits cave was still too close for comfort, and they might check anytime to see that he was still there. Ronald stumbled along, his ankle was getting worse. Later that morning he reached a rock wall, a stream ran along it. As the donkey drank Ronald began to explore. He was studying the rock wall when he saw a cave!

He stepped carefully around until he got to the opening. Going in he saw it was a larger cave then he thought. He could easily fit himself and his donkey inside. So, Ronald went back to the donkey and led it to the cave. Ronald gathered wood for the fire and took a pot from his saddle bags. Then he heated some water in it. When it was boiling he threw in a handful of the herbs he had collected. While it boiled, he took the packs off the donkey and gathered it some grass to eat. When the poultice was ready he put it on his leg. His ankle was about twice its normal size, upon studying it he decided that it was only sprained, not broken. He heaved a sigh of relief; a broken ankle would delay his journey.

He stayed there for about a week. He was able to walk by then. The next morning Ronald set off.

The place where the man thought he saw Kelton at was farther up the mountain. It would take several days to get there.

Ronald saw several deer and a bear that morning. Though he still limped but it didn’t hurt much, though by the time the sun went down his ankle was aching. He set up camp and ate his supper while the stars began to show, and the moon shone bright. He soon drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, he awoke feeling much better. After cleaning up camp he started. At first it was easy going. Then, sometime in the afternoon, he heard a rumbling sound. Tying up his donkey, he was investigating when he came around a bend in the rocks. There before him was a waterfall. Below the river roared. Ronald was standing on a narrow ledge twenty feet above the river. Ronald looked farther down the ledge and saw that it dropped off abruptly beside the waterfall. Ronald was beginning to feel dizzy, when he heard another rumbling sound; which was louder than the falls. Ronald stepped around the bend and, there before him, was a rock wall. The rocks had fallen and blocked off the path and now he was trapped on the narrow ledge. There was no way out but down. After examining the rock wall, he decided it was straight up and down, to climb the slippery rock would be hard and he might fall and be smashed on the rocks below. But the only alternative was to starve to death on the narrow ledge. At least the donkey was not on the ledge also. Ronald took a deep breath and lowered himself over the edge. Carefully he climbed down the cliff. It was difficult on the damp and slippery rock. The mist from the falls got in his eyes. Several times he slipped, but he caught himself in time. Halfway down, both feet slipped. With his fingers wedged in a crack in the rock, he hung on desperately. Below him the river raged.

End of Chapter Seven