The Last War Of Summer - Part 8

by RichardUK

"Well, OK," said Roger, "we will come and inspect the goods and then we can discuss the matter further." James tried to struggle in his bonds but the stakes had been so positioned that he had virtually no movement and he gave it up and glared at us over his gag as we all trooped off leaving him on his own.

A short stroll with no fear of attack brought us all to our own camp. When Roger spotted our guests strung up and glaring at us over their gags he could not contain himself and burst out laughing. Andrew and Graham seemed to take their cue from him and were soon almost hysterical. All they received in reply were angry looks from their compatriots. Roger became the spokesman for the opposition - Mike and Peter, the usual leaders, were in no position to negotiate.

"We accept your victory and I am more than happy to release James to you. However, I don't feel I can hand Chris over without his own wholehearted acceptance of your proposal." He looked enquiringly at Chris.

My brother looked again at our bound prisoners and turned back to the rest of us. "I must say you have done well against all the odds, and I feel really bad when I say I shall have to decline your invitation, especially as it condemns these lads to a night of suffering!" His response really disappointed me and I felt my colour rise with my anger - I had thought my brother was more gallant.

Chris saw my reaction and turned to me saying softly, "You don't understand Titch, I am on a curfew and must be home by 10.30 latest. You know what would happen if I break it!"  This was something I hadn't anticipated and I could see no way round it. My disappointment was enormous - I thought my revenge was slipping through my fingers.

"I'll tell you what I will do if it makes you feel better," Chris went on. "I will give you my word to return tomorrow morning immediately after breakfast and you can have your revenge if you agree to set these lads free now." This was a total surprise and my mates were nodding approvingly.

 "Very well, I will accept your offer on one condition - that Mike remains our hostage until you return tomorrow. I suspect he was deeply involved in planning your treachery today in any case, so he deserves not to be let off with the others and we have the right to hold them all!"  I brightened considerably as a thought struck me. "Anyway, we will have all night to work out what to do with you." 

Chris groaned, then laughed out loud. "Let's release these boys and then I had better be off home." My mates removed our prisoners' gags and then untied them from their uncomfortable positions. Last was Mike.

Before we untied his hands he asked us, quite good naturedly, "Do I get a say in any of this?"

"No, not at all!" we all responded in unison.

 "Oh, fair enough," Mike grinned as we untied his hands. We gave him a few minutes to rub his wrists and enjoy a little freedom then instructed him to turn around with his hands behind his back. In a few moments Mike was a bound prisoner once more.

Before leaving us, Chris took me on one side and said, "Well done, Titch, you did well today and you deserve your victory. I give you my word I will be back first thing tomorrow to take my punishment. Don't be too hard on Mike tonight or your brother tomorrow!" He grinned at me and once more ruffled my hair, laughing as I pulled away and glared angrily at him. Chris took his leave and accompanied by the other boys who were returning home left the battle field by a different path while we returned to Mike's patrol hut, our one remaining prisoner being guarded in our midst by a couple of boys. Our paraffin stoves were quickly lit to get our supper ready while Mike was given a log to sit on though his ankles were left free. All at once we realized we had completely ignored James, still staked out and gagged a few yards away.

I removed his gag and he at once complained that we should have released him before going for our parley. I told him to stop moaning or I would put the gag back and leave him where he was for the rest of the evening. This had the desired effect but I took my time untying him, leaving his wrists until last.

We enjoyed a hilarious supper and Mike was liberated before we ate. He tried hard to negotiate his way out of what was coming to him shortly, complaining that he had not been consulted in any of the earlier discussions. We reminded him that, as a prisoner at the time limit his freedom was forfeit to us by the agreement reached before the game started but he was simply being held to ensure Chris's cooperation. Since he had helped to plan Chris's game of treason, he could hardly complain if the schemes backfired on him.

He shrugged good naturedly, grinned and said, "I guess you are right and I am in for an uncomfortable night but boy, had we plans for you if this had turned out differently!" I could imagine but preferred not to enquire further.

Supper finished we pointed out that Mike's gear would have to be moved to our own tents. We were not going to trust our hostage to the care of his closest buddies! Mike accepted our offer of hospitality (he could hardly refuse) and made a move to collect his gear.

David stopped him and said, "That's all right, we'll do that for you. We must look after our guest. Turn around and put your hands behind your back." Mike groaned but did as he was told and once more his hands were tied.

He grinned over his shoulder at us while we were completing the lashing of his wrists and chuckled, "Well at least I get out of washing up!"

When all was ready we helped Mike to his feet and escorted him back to our own tents. We agreed that Mike would join Stuart, James and me in one of the tents with the other five boys making a tight squeeze in the other. We prepared Mike's sleeping bag for him and then sat about in the warm night air laughing at Mike's predicament and chatting about the day's events. Despite his bound wrists, Mike joined in with the general mirth and said he felt I had got off quite lightly. Since I was usually one of the early victims in these games and often spent the whole afternoon tied up the others agreed with him and exchanged sinister glances but I told them to forget any schemes they might have - I felt I had been dealt with far more severely by my brother than any of the others, which Ken vigorously agreed with (he had seen the fight and how I had been carried through the woods).

At last we decided to turn in. Most of us removed our tee shirts in view of the heat and Mike asked if he could do the same. Naturally we agreed, Stuart untied him to allow him to undress, and then retied his hands making sure that while they were secure they were not too tight. Then we helped him settle into his sleeping bag and made him as comfortable as possible with his bound hands. The chatter continued for some time but I became aware that Mike had fallen silent and looking at him in the bright moonlight I was amazed to see he was fast asleep.

"OK guys," I said, "be as gentle as possible and untie his hands without waking him." We had all decided earlier we would give him his freedom but hadn't expected him to drift off to sleep before we told him! With Mike at liberty I stared up at the roof of the tent and went over the day's events in my mind, and at last drifted off into a deep, contented sleep.

I was woken by the bright, early morning light streaming through the open flap of the tent and looked blearily at Mike sound asleep next to me and blissfully unaware of his freedom. Something was nagging at my brain that all was not right but in my dozy state I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I tried to roll over onto my back intending to make the most of a lie in and found I couldn't. Suddenly, I was fully awake with the realization that MY hands were tightly bound behind my back! I struggled to sit up and in doing so Stuart and James both woke up.  They saw me struggling and simply collapsed in giggles.

"Guys, this isn't fair!" I protested, "What did I do to deserve this?" which produced nothing more than my two friends rolling about, incoherent with laughter.

When they finally had controlled themselves James said, "We listened to Mike last night and agreed with all he said! After we had set him free you fell asleep blissfully unaware of your surroundings. We decided you might as well take his place and we were sooo gentle with you, you didn't know anything about it. We have been checking on you periodically throughout the night to make sure you were OK but you never stirred once!"

There was a noise outside the tent and David and Robert crept in and sat down on the end of our sleeping bags.  They grinned at my mates and said, "You did it then?"

"Yeah, no sweat!" Stuart and James replied while everyone laughed. "He's been like it all night and knew nothing until he woke up a few minutes ago!"

Their laughter woke Mike who blinked, yawned, stretched and sat up. Suddenly he held his unbound hands in front of him and stared uncomprehendingly.

"How come my hands are free?" he asked at last and the others explained that we had always intended to free him but he went to sleep before we could tell him.

"In any case, we had Richard to take your place." Stuart laughed. Mike looked across at me and suddenly realized my hands were tied behind my back.

"They didn't keep you like that did they?" he enquired. I nodded glumly but explained that I had no more idea that my hands were bound than he did that he was free!

"Come on guys, untie me," I pleaded. "If Chris keeps his word he will be here soon and we've got lots to do before then". Reluctantly, they agreed and in a few moments my hands were free once more.

Not a moment too soon - we heard footsteps outside and suddenly my brother was calling out to us. Mike began to shout in reply but I pushed him down and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Not a sound, Mike," I hissed, "I don't want you telling everyone, we were soft on you last night, at least not yet. Get a gag on him Stuart, quick!" Mike didn't try to resist but as Stuart approached with the cloths and I removed my hand he shook his head vigorously and held up his hand.

"Wait for a moment," he pleaded in a whisper. "I wanted to say thanks for setting me free last night. I was really worried about being kept tied up all night but was so tired I just drifted off to sleep. I was really surprised to find my hands free this morning. Are you going to tie me up again now?"

"Afraid so, Mike. I was just as surprised to find myself tied up this morning but I am not having you shout your mouth off about it so you are going to have to be gagged as well. Anyway, it should do wonders for my standing with you older boys in the troop if they think we kept you not only tied up but gagged as well last night!"

Mike grinned. "Don't fool yourself - you are still a scrawny little kid and we still have the stakes ready for you. We can take you any time, and you know it!" I blushed slightly - his words were of course true. "Well maybe, but its time to cut out the talk. Open wide while Stuart gets your gag fastened! We will let you go shortly after my brother is properly secure in your place but we can't do that until we have shown our hostage to the troop!"

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