Chapter Nineteen ~ Bob-White!

as told to Trish by Ron Duncan

Ron couldn’t help but think about Cap and Tank and what might have happened. He struggled to keep his thoughts positive. The two Swisher brothers would have a lot to answer to Sheriff Sprute. He couldn’t help but wish again that the Sheriff had known about Tank being missing. He only half listened to the chitter-chatter between Hallie, Trixie and the others talking about Fred and Opie, and was relieved when they finally went quiet, concentrating more on the deer trail as the hike became more arduous. Surprising himself, he was the one to break the silence.

“This trail is a man-killer,” Ron sighed.

“A lady-killer, too,” Hallie retorted. She stopped in her tracks. A half-step behind her, Trixie barely avoided running into her cousin. “Ssh – there’s the cabin!” Hallie’s voice was low, but vibrating with excitement. “All the lights are on, and there’s no sound.”

Ron watched quietly as Trixie and Hallie made their way to the cabin’s windows. Hallie had seen something, based on her admonition to be quiet. He heard her muttering to Trixie and then she rushed to the front door and jerked it open.

He hurried to back Hallie up, and heard her yell, “And where’s Cap?”

Arriving just in time to see Fred Swisher reach for a floorboard, Ron stepped forward.

“Hold it, Fred. Stay right where you are.” His confidence surged as he balanced Tank’s ax.

“Get out of my way,” Fred growled.

As the girls backed away, Fred made the decision to advance towards Ron and the doorway. Unfortunately for Fred, Trixie was just as much of a warrior as Hallie. Trixie picked up a footstool and threw it, hitting Fred in the back of one knee.

The footstool did the job as well as any weapon could have, and Ron watched in admiration as Fred’s knee buckled. It seemed poetic justice that Fred stepped into the long narrow slot he himself had created in the process of tearing up Tank’s floor. Fred gave a desperate attempt to balance himself and the rest of the Bob-White warrior princesses sprang into action.

Hallie snatched up a pail and clamped it over Fred’s head. Proving themselves equal warrior princesses, Honey jumped forward to help her hold it down, while Diana made a beautiful dive for the lever. Trixie moved towards Ron as if to help him should Fred’s intended assault make any further progress.

“We got him, Ron!” Honey cried. “I’ll stand guard.”

Of course you will, Ron thought to himself. Maybe Sheriff Sprute should consider recruiting these four warriors now.

Instead of voicing his thoughts, he handed the rope to Trixie. “Here, Trixie, do the honors. I’ll stand guard.”

Not that you three need me to guard anything, he thought.

Trixie did an admirable job tying Fred’s wrists and ankles. Ron wondered if she’d had experience in this activity. It wouldn’t surprise him after hearing the tales Gloria and Knut had related about some of the adventures of the New York Bob-Whites.

He turned his head toward a new sound, and Trixie commented, “Just in time.”

A nasal voice shouted: “Fred, run, son!” It was Opie Swisher!

The teens turned and watched as he stumbled across the yard, croaking his warning. “Run, Fred!” The man was clearly exhausted after his hurried hike up the mountain trail and Ron moved to block the doorway at the same time that Opie tried to enter the cabin.

Opie raised his hands and gulped. “You got me. Now, how did you git ahead of me on that there trail?”

Ron didn’t answer the question, deciding it was better to let the man wonder. He tied Opie’s wrists and ankles with a length of rope, and watched as the warrior princesses left the cabin and gave the Bob-White signal.

Bob, bob-white! Bob, bob-white.

From inside the cabin he could hear the answer coming from the top of the trail. Bob, bob-white.

I guess they come by their name honestly, he thought, listening to the conversation.

“What did you do, fly up here?” One of the guys panted the question, but Ron wasn’t sure which one.

“Deer trail. We have everything under control.” Hallie answered.

“We caught both Fred and Opie,” Trixie added.

Little do these guys know they aren’t even needed,he thought as as he moved to join the warrior princesses. Do they have any idea how ferocious these four females really are?

“Have they told you where Tank and Cap are?” Knut asked.

He almost chuckled at Knut’s question.

“Trixie figured that out on the way up. Come on to the mine, fellows, and we’ll set them free.” Ron told the group.

The quietly made their way to the mine, passing Tank’s stake with his name, Anders Anderson. Hallie and Knut were first to each the door to the mine.

“It’s locked!” Hallie yelled.

“What did you expect, a welcome mat?” Knut replied.

Ron rolled his eyes. Siblings. Not that he and Gloria would’ve been any different.

“How can we get in?” Di wailed.

Don’t give up now, warrior princess, Ron thought. Instead, he held up his arm and waved the ax. “I thought this might happen,” he said. “I brought along Tank’s ax.”

It took more hacking than expected, but he was able to remove the hinges from the door frame. The two Belden brothers, Mart and Brian, opened the door from the hinge side and dragged it across the dirt.

“Tank!” Knut bellowed into the mine. “Are you in there?”

Silence. Ron frowned. They had to be there; he was certain the blonde warrior princess had been right in her deduction.

“Cap? Tank? Where are you?” Hallie screamed.

Ron gave a small smile as the feeble but testy answer came back.

“Back here, dad blame it!”

Hallie let out a hoarse sob and snatched her cousin Mart’s flashlight and rushed in.

Warrior princesses at work, Ron thought as the rest of the group followed more carefully. Tank was sprawled on a folded tarp with one ankle chained to the wall. Around him sat a pail of water, a burned-out lantern, and a skunk that thumped an angry warning on the rock floor.

“Is that Mister or Loverly?” Knut asked as he edged forward.

The old miner shielded his eyes from the light and managed a weak chuckle. “It’s me Loverly.”

Ron and the others worked to set Tank free from his chain, but Hallie knelt and hugged Tank’s thin shoulders. “Tank, oh, Tank,” she crooned. “Are you all right? Where’s Cap?”

“Does it hurt, sir?” Brian asked the man. “Will you be able to stand?”

Wow, he almost sounds like a doctor, Ron thought.

“Let me see vhat ay can do.” He held up his wrinkled, arthritis-knotted hands.

Willing hands helped Tank to his feet, and he wobbled toward the early morning light at the end of the tunnel, leaning heavily on Mart and Knut.

Hallie carried Loverly and kept saying, “Where’s Cap? Where’s Cap?” Isn’t anybody going to set Cap free?”

Once outdoors, Tank shook free of the many supporting hands. Shivering, he wrapped his long arms around his rib cage. “Ain’t been so cold since ay locked meself inside me own ice cave.” Tank admitted. He accepted the sweater Jim took off. “Now, vhat’s the yammerin’ about Cap? Vhy’d ya tank he vas with me?”

“Y-You mean, he isn’t?” Hallie stammered.

Ron realized with Tank’s question that of course there was no way the Swishers would have chosen to keep both Cap and Tank together. On their worst day, the two mountain men combined could out-smart and out-maneuver both Swishers. Heck, if those four warrior princesses could take them down it was a forgone conclusion that Cap and Tank together could’ve managed to do the same thing. Separating the two would have been the only way to keep both captive.

“Come on, guys,” Ron spoke up. “Let’s get back to Tank’s cabin and ask some questions.”