stappealinglookinhiseyesIeversawonthefaceofadumbortalkinganimal.
"Sam,"sayshe,"what'stwohundredandfiftydollars,afterall?We'vegotthemoney.Onemorenightofthisboywilldrivemecrazy.IthinkMisterDorsetismakingusagoodoffer.Youaren'tgoingtoletthechancego,areyou?"
"Tellyouthetruth,Bill,"saysI,"thislittlelambhasgotonmynerves,too.We'lltakehimhome,paytheransomandmakeourget-away."
Wetookhimhomethatnight.Wegothimtogobytellinghimthathisfatherhadboughthimagunandweweregoingtohuntbearsthenextday.
Itwastwelveo'clockwhenweknockedonEbenezer'sfrontdoor.BillcountedouttwohundredandfiftydollarsintoDorset'shand.
Whentheboylearnedwewereplanningtoleavehimathome,hestartedtocryloudlyandheldhimselfastightashecouldtoBill'sleg.Hisfatherpulledhimawayslowly.
"Howlongcanyouholdhim?"asksBill.
"I'mnotasstrongasIusedtobe,"saysoldDorset,"butIthinkIcanpromiseyoutenminutes."
"Enough,"saysBill."Intenminutes,IshallcrosstheCentral,SouthernandMiddleWesternstates,andberunningfortheCanadianborder."
And,asdarkasitwas,andasfatasBillwas,andasgoodarunnerasIam,hewasagoodmileandahalfoutofSummitbeforeIcouldcatchupwithhim.
(MUSIC)
ANNOUNCER:
YouhaveheardtheAmericanStory"TheRansomofRedChief"byO.Henry.YourstorytellerwasShepO'Neal.ThisstorywasadaptedintoSpecialEnglishbyShelleyGollust.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.ListenagainnextweekforanotherAmericanStoryinVOASpecialEnglish.I'mFaithLapidus.