Chap: 22

Chapter 22:

"Where's Sarah?" asked Jamison, shaking Johnny awake.

"I don't know..." groaned Johnny "Isn't she right over there?"

"No1 She's not on the whole beach!"

"what?" Johnny jumped up.

"She can't have gone back to the ship." said Jamison pointing to the beached rowboat.

"Then she went into the jungle...?" asked Johnny

"Why would she do a fool thing like that?" asked Jamison

"To run away...?"

Sarah was tied to a huge wooden post in the center of the village. The whole tribe of Indians stood, staring at her. They had streaks of black paint all across their faces, earrings in the strangest places, and didn't wear much for clothing. Sarah found them to be worse then the pirates.

"What was girl doing?" asked a tall warrior, who was clearly important, probably the chief.

"I'm on my way to the Bahamas." Sarah remembered they probably had no idea what the Bahamas were, and tried to explain better her situation, but had little luck. While the Indians seemed to take great interest in what she said, she realized they had no idea, or little anyway, about what she was talking about. When she finished, she got the feeling they hadn't understood anything she had said.

The crowd of Indians soon left, except for a set of guards. Sarah wondered what was in store for her. She had a feeling it wasn't going to be very good.

Early that morning almost all the rest of the Ransom's crew came ashore, including Captain Frite. Jamison explained that Sarah was missing.

"I'm going to go look for her, right now." he said nodding toward the jungle.

The Captain sighed. "If you really must. Be back by sunset, boy."

"I'll try." said Jamison

"You're going to do a lot more then "try", boy!" thundered the Captain "You will be back by sunset, or you might very well find yourself in a load of trouble."

Jamison fingered his sword's hilt. "As you wish." he said glaring, then he called for Johnny. "Lets go."

"Aye, aye, Jamie!"

Sarah was tied to the post all day. It seemed the village didn't know what to do with her. The groups of Indians had long angry discussions about what to do with her. Sarah watched and listened. Her hope sinking deeper with every word.

Jamison and Johnny searched the island the best they could, but found noting. There were no signs of anybody, and the forests were huge. They returned at sunset angry and tired.

Sarah fell asleep tied to the post. What would tomorrow bring? Death, freedom, or slavery? To think in all her seventeen years of life she had never left Albandale! Now, she was here, on a tropical island, captured by wild savages, and if she should be freed or rescued by her pirate friends, she would go to the Bahamas before going home again.

What was her Mother thinking? And her admires? And her little girl-friends? And what about Jamison? What was he thinking? And why did her heart jump whenever she thought of him?