| |
by Dingbat
This story is a work of fiction, all characters and plot lines are fictional. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Mark Turns 11 remains the property of the author. The story or characters may not be reproduced or republished elsewhere without the expressed written consent of the author.
"Where do you think they'll be?" Mark asked.
"Probably at their village, unless they got captured by the TV kids, in which case, they'd probably be in town, tied up in the hotel." observed Israel. "I'll bet that where we find the Indians, we'll find the TV kids, and vice versa. One group will be the captives of the other."
"Yeah? And what if they've teamed up? Little Beaver asked.
"Then, like Kevin said earlier, we'll be in deep nuts." Israel answered.
"Aw, hell, let's do it!" Mark said. "We'll worry about what happens when it happens. Grab those moccasins and shoes, and the buckskins, too, and let's go!"
With that, they loaded up their captives' clothes and shoes, and disappeared out the door, leaving seven pajama clad captives struggling with their ropes. "At least we weren't hog tied." Big Chris thought, and he got a sense of the other six thinking the same thing.
In town, Mark, Kevin, Packy, and Israel thought Joey, Mark, and the rest of the older kids would have the advantage, but it was not the case. The opinion was shared by Little Beaver, and the twins, Red Horse and Wild Horse, but the three Indians had something else in mind, too. Having spent a lot of time in town, they knew it just as well, and maybe even better, than the TV kids. That was based on the facts that Rusty stayed out at Fort Apache, and Joey, Pee Wee, Mark, and Andy all lived on ranches out of town. The only two that might be considered "townies" were Davy and Tagg. Perhaps that was why it was a little surprising then Little Beaver and Packy found the two of them tied up and gagged in the back of the general store.
After being un-gagged, Davy said that they had been captured and tied by Walking Horse and Spotted Elk. He said he did not know the fates of his friends or the other Indians, and indicated that he and Tagg were more interested in catching Indians, than in bothering with a bunch of ten year olds. "Kevin and Mark are 11." corrected Packy, and Davy just said "Whatever."
Despite Davy's assurances, Packy and Little Beaver - especially Little Beaver - didn't trust him, and after they milked him and Tagg for all the information they could get, Packy replaced their gags, and told them that they'd be back as soon as they talked with their friends, and let them know. A few minutes later, all seven of the smaller kids were there, and by a vote of 5-2, decided to let Tagg and Davy stay tied and gagged.
"Ya know, when they do get loose, they sure ain't gonna do us any favors." said Kevin, one of the two that voted to let them go.
"No sweat." Israel countered. "I got a lot of friends and a lot of rope if they try anything."
"That may be." said Mark, "But it won't mean anything if they use that rope on you and your friends, instead of the other way around."
"Still no sweat." Israel said. "We'll get loose, and when we do, we'll find 'em and hog tie 'em!"
Kevin pulled Mark aside, and whispered "It's good that he has confidence, but I hope he don't let his mouth overload his ass. It could get us all in trouble."
Before Mark could respond, Packy cut in, and said that they should take Davy and Tagg up to the hotel. This time, there was agreement, and after having their ankles untied, Davy and Tagg were pulled to their feet, and taken by a circuitous route to the back door of the hotel, and up to a second floor room. There, their feet were re-tied, their gags were checked, and an additional rope was added around their arms.
The boys seemed pleased with themselves, and their self-congratulatory expressions kept them from hearing the soft "ummmph" and an occasional "thump" on the floor, until Wild Horse suggested that they take the secret passage in the closet, rather than openly use the hall and stairs. Again there was agreement, but once they had quieted down for their trip through the passages, the noises from the next room became clear, and Mark quickly said it should be investigated.
The closet door was eased open a crack, and Little Beaver, Mark, and Israel peered in. The field of vision was a bit narrow, requiring the door be opened a little further. This time, the boys got a clear view of the room, and saw that it was Rusty and Pee Wee, both tied and gagged. Pee Wee was face down on the bed, while Rusty was the source of the occasional thumps, from raising his feet and letting them fall on the floor, as he struggled to get loose.
But the most noticeable thing, was that Pee Wee and Rusty were not in their regular clothes. Both were wearing light blue "ski" pajamas, just like Charlie's, and the obvious conclusion was that Charlie, Ronnie, Scott, Allen, Doug, Red Jeff, and Big Chris had all escaped, made their way into town, had captured Rusty and Pee Wee, and now, two of them, probably Red Jeff and Big Chris, were wearing Rusty's and Pee Wee's clothes.
"Well, that leaves seven teenaged Indians, the seven kids that came with us, and three TV kids floating around here somewhere." said Kevin.
"And seven little captives!" came Red Jeff's voice from behind them. "And don't worry about the TV kids." he continued. "We got all seven of them, and three of the Indians, too!"
"What about the other four?" Israel asked.
"Keena sent them off on a wild goose chase!" Big Chris said. "We made a deal." Chris continued. We told him that if he got rid of Nishko, Wacopi, Walking Horse, and Swift Arrow, we wouldn't make 'em wear pajamas, and we wouldn't trade him, Spotted Elk, and Attuma, to Pokewah, Little Beaver, Israel, and the other ten year olds."
Big Chris and Red Jeff were joined by Charlie and Doug, and between the four of them, they quickly bound and gagged the seven little kids. Doug suggested hog tying them, but Chris, remembering that Mark, Israel, and the others had not hog tied them earlier, said that it wasn't necessary. Doug reluctantly agreed, but said that they all deserved a good hog tie for making them all wear pajamas earlier. "Maybe later." Chris recommended, and Doug thought that "maybe later" he'd hog tie Chris, along with his friends, Pee Wee, Rusty, and Red Jeff, right along with the seven smaller and younger kids.
Even though they were tied and gagged, the young captives were not blindfolded, and were able to see Ronnie, Scott, and Allen march the other five TV kids and the three captured Indians into the next room, where Pee Wee and Rusty were still fighting with the ropes that held them. Like Rusty and Pee Wee, Joey, Davy, Mark, Andy, and Tagg, were wearing the light blue "ski" pajamas, while their captors were wearing their captives' clothes. Mark thought that Rusty's uniform fit Big Chris pretty good, and made a mental note that if the opportunity ever presented itself, Chris and Rusty were going to be his "unwilling guests" for an hour or so.
But first things first, and the first thing, was getting loose. It could not be done under the noses of their guards, Doug and Red Jeff, and all Mark could hope for, was that they would leave soon, to help the others tie the ankles and arms of their ten prisoners.
But that didn't happen. Doug and Jeff busied themselves by joking about hog tying their captives, which caused loud "Mmmppfff's" of protest. Then, the two of them traded dirty jokes, which brought laughter to the captives, although they could not really get it out with their mouths gagged. "Why is a turd tapered at the end?" Doug asked of Jeff, and Jeff gave him a puzzled look. Seeing that Jeff didn't know, Doug blurted out "So your not a very nice person don't slam shut!" Mark, Kevin, Packy, Israel, and even the three small Indians, nearly choked on their gags from laughing. Then, it was Jeff's turn.
"Down in Florida, they grow the meanest animal in the world!" Jeff declared. It's called a crocagator!" Now, it was Doug who gave Jeff a puzzled look. "A crocagator's got the head of an alligator at one end, and the head of a crocodile at the other, and the reason he's so mean, is 'cause he can't nuts!" This brought more laughter, and another round of near choking.
"They seem to be in good humor." Jeff observed.
"Yeah, but if we tell any more jokes they ain't heard, they'll laugh themselves to death." Doug giggled back.
A commotion in the hallway distracted them. "Wait here!" Doug commanded Red Jeff. "I'll find out what's going on."
Out in the hall, Charlie and Joey were bringing in the last four Indians, who had apparently returned to town, and had been unexpectedly discovered and captured. This delighted Charlie, Ronnie, and the rest, no end. Doug also deduced that Joey had been freed to help out, and maybe one or two others, as well.
Allen and Scott came in to relieve Doug and Red Jeff, and immediately started to brag about capturing Nishko, Wacopi, Swift Arrow, and Attuma, and the fact that they had now captured all seven older Indians, the seven older TV kids, and Mark and his six friends. "We got all 21 of them!" Allen gleefully shouted. "We win!"
Mark was steaming, and Little Kevin wasn't much happier. "Dammit, it's my birthday, and I should'a won!" Mark thought.
Perhaps that thought got through to Allen, as he untied Mark's ankles, , then pulled him to his feet, spun him around, and untied his hands. "Some days you get the bear, and some days, the bear gets you." Allen laughed.
From behind him came Ronnie's voice. "Or, some days you're the dog, and some days, you're the tree." he laughed.
"You need to be tied to a tree!" Mark snapped back.
Charlie cut them off. "Isn't it about time we headed back?" he asked, and there was a lot of nodding.
"Aww, can't we stay a little longer?" Doug pouted.
"Yeah!" argued a just untied and un-gagged Kevin. "There's a bunch of people that got some serious payback coming!"
"Don't blame me!" Charlie retorted. "When we got here, the pair of you, and five friends, had the seven of us all tied up and gagged, and you couldn't capture the older Indians and TV kids before we got loose!"
"No fair!" wailed Kevin. "You and Doug and Scott can get loose better than me and Mark!"
Then Mark spoke up, and said that he was at least as good as Scott at getting loose, and that he demanded the opportunity to prove it. "Done!" declared Ronnie. But I get to be to one that does the tying."
Ronnie got no argument from the others, but Mark, suddenly with a streak of bravado, asked that he be tied seven times, and each time, with a person of his choice. "Scott gets tied with me and whoever I choose, and if I get free before he does four out of the seven times, then we win, and you guys gotta be our prisoners overnight."
"Name your seven!" Ronnie said.
Mark thought a minute, and said "First, Israel, then Kevin, and after that, Packy." he said, then named Little Beaver, Red Jeff, Rusty, and Tagg.
"Just to make it interesting, tie me up with them!" Doug said. "It'll give him something else to try and beat!"
Mark indicated that he accepted the terms, but Charlie suggested one more condition. "Since he chose Israel, make him and Doug and Scott wear buckskins and a chambray shirt like Israel."
"Hey, yeah!" said Big Chris. "Then make them wear Indian buckskins with Little Beaver, jeans and a checked shirt with Packy, and a blue uniform with Rusty."
"And how about grey sweat pants and white T-shirts with Kevin, A boy scout uniform with Red Jeff, and jeans and a blue lace-up shirt with Tagg." came Allen's voice.
Mark and Doug agreed to it all; Scott groused about having to change clothes seven times, but was more agreeable to the arrangement when Doug said "Hey, go along, Scott. Besides, when was the last time you got tied seven times in a row, without being made to wear pajamas at least three of those times?"
"OK!" Scott whispered back. "But it's you who's gonna get tied up in pajamas when we get home."
"Seven times?" Doug teased.
Before Scott could answer, Ronnie tossed him and Doug pairs of fringed buckskin pants, blue shirts, and Apache boots. "You two get ready!" he ordered. "You, too, Mark!" he added, tossing another set at his little brother.
Now what? Obviously, Scott, Doug, and Mark were in a fix, but would they get loose on their own, or be rescued by their friends? Tune in next time for the exciting conclusion to Mark's birthday adventure!
© Copyright Dingbat 2007
Comments and feedback
|