The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry (2023)

Introduction

Video

Welcome back in this video, I want to share a story with you.

It was written by on harry.

The title of this funny story is the ransom of radio chief.

This is the story, the ransom avarado chief by o'hare.

Today I present a short story: the ransom threat chief written by o'hara.

It looked like a good thing, but wait till I told you we were down south in alabama bill, driscoll and myself.

When this kidnapping idea struck us, there was a town down there as flat as a pancake and called summit bill, and I had about six hundred dollars.

We needed just two thousand dollars more for an illegal land deal in illinois.

We choose for our victim, the only child on an influential citizen named ebenezer dorset.

He was a boy of a tam with red air bill and I thought that ebenezer could pay a ransom of two thousand dollars to get his boy back.

But wait till I tell you about two miles from summit was a little mountain covered with cedar trees.

There was an opening on the back of the mountain.

We store our supplies in that cave.

One night we drove a horse and carriage past old dorset's house.

The boy was in the street, throwing locks at a cat on the opposite fence.

Hi little boy said bill.

Would you like to have a bag of a candy and a nice ride? The boy is directly in the eye with the piece of a rock it's bill that boy put up a fight like a wild animal, but at last we got him down in the bottom of the carriage and drove away.

We took him up to the cave.

The boy had two large bird feathers stuck in his air.

He points a stick at me and says: ha pale face.

Do that to enter the camp of radicchief.

The terror of the plains is all right now says: bell rolling up his pants and examining wounds on his leg.

We are playing indian, I am old and the trapper red chiefs captive, I'm going to be scorped at daybreak by geronimo that kid can kick hard.

Rather chief says I to the bowie.

Could you like to go home? Oh? What for sassy? I don't have any fun at home.

I hate to go to school.

I like to go camp out.

You want to take me back home again with you not right away.

He says I will stay here in the cave for a while.

All right says: hey that will fine.

I never had such fun.

In all my life.

We went to bed about 11 o'clock, just at daybreak.

I was awakened by a series of terrible screams from bill where the chief was sitting on bill's chest with one hand holding his air in the other.

He had a sharp knife.

He was attempting to cut off the top of a bill's head based on what he had declared the night before I got the knife away from the bowie.

But after that event, bill's spirit was broken.

He lay down, but he never closed an eye again in sleep.

As long as that boy was with us, do you think anybody will pay out money to get a little imp like that back home bill asked sure I said a boy like that is just the kind that parents love now you and the chief get up and make something to eat.

While I go up on the top of this mountain, I look around.

I climbed to the top of the mountain over towards summit.

I expected to see the man of the village searching the countryside, but all was peaceful, perhaps says I to myself.

It has not yet been discovered that the wows have taken the lamb from the fold.

I went back down the mountain when I got to the cave, I found the build bucket up against the side of it.

It was breathing hard with the bowie threatening to strike him with a rock.

He put a red hot potato down, my back explained bill and then crushed it with his foot.

I hit his ears.

Have you got a gun with you sam? I took the rock away from the boeing and ended the argument.

I'll fix you says the bowie to bill newman ever yet struck the red chiff, but what he got paid for it.

You better be careful after eating.

The boy takes a leather object with the strings tied around each from his clothes and goes outside the cave unwinding it.

Then he heard a kind of shout.

It was rather chief holding a sling in one end, he moved it faster and faster around his head.

Just then, I had a heavy, sound and deep breath from bill.

A rock the size of an egg had hit him just behind his left.

Ear bill fell in the fire across the frying pan about water for washing the dishes.

I pulled him out and poured cold water on his head for half an hour.

Then I went out and caught that boy and shook him.

If your behavior doesn't improve, says I I'll take you straight home now.

Are you going to be good or not? I was only funny says I didn't mean too hard old hank, but what did he eat me for I'll behave? If you don't send me home, I thought it best to send a letter to all the men dorset that day demanding the ransom and telling how it should be paid.

The letter said we have your boy hidden in a place.

Far from summit, we demand 1 500 for his return, the money to be left at midnight tonight at the same place and in the same box as your answer.

If you agree to these terms, send the answer in writing by a messenger tonight, at after past eight o'clock after crossing owl creek on the road to the poblano cove, there are three large trees at the bottom of the fence opposite.

The third tree will be a small box.

The messenger will place the answer in this box and return immediately to summit.

If you fail to agree to our demand, you will never see your boy again.

If you pay the money as demanded, it will be returned to you, safe and well.

Within three hours I took the ladder and worked over the poplar cove.

I then sat around the post office and store an old man.

There says he hears summit is all worried because of ebenezer dorset's boy having been lost or stolen.

That was all I want to know.

I mailed my letter a left.

The postmaster said the mail carrier would come by in an hour to take the mail on to summit at half past eight.

I was up in the third tree waiting for the messenger to arrive exactly on time.

After boy rides up the road on a bicycle.

He finds the box at the foot of the fence.

He puts a folded piece of paper into it and leaves turning back toward submit.

I slid down the tree, got the note and was back at the cave.

In a half hour, I opened the node note and ready to bill.

This is what it said.

Gentlemen.

I received your letter about the ransom you asked for the return of my son.

I think you are a little high in your demands.

I hereby make you a counter proposal, which I believe you will accept.

You bring john home and pay me 250 dollars, and I agree to take him off your hands.

You had a better come at night because the neighbors believe is lost and I could not be responsible for what they would do to anybody.

They saw bringing him back very respectfully.

Ebenezer dorset great pirates of the pensions says I of all the nerve, but I looked at the bill and stopped.

He had the most appealing.

Look in his eyes.

I ever saw on the face of a dumb or talking animal, some say what's 250 dollars.

After all, we've got the money.

One more night of this boy will drive me crazy.

I think mr dorsett is making us a good offer.

You aren't going to let the chance go.

Are you telling you the truth? Bill says I this little lamp has cut on my nerves too, we'll take him home, pay the ransom and make our get away.

We took him home that night.

We got him to go by telling him that his father had bought him again and we were going to hunt bears the next day.

It was 12 o'clock when we knocked on ebenezer frondo bill counted out, 250 dollars into dorset's end.

When the bowie learned, we were planning to leave him at home.

He started to cry loudly and held himself as tight as he could to bill's lag his father pulled in mcguire.

Slowly.

How long can you hold him asked bill, I'm not as strong as I used to be says old doctor, but I think I can promise you 10 minutes enough says bill in 10 minutes.

I shall cross the central southern and middle western states and be running for the canadian border and as dark as it was, and as fat as bill was and as good a runner as I am.

It was a good mile and a half out of a summit before I could catch up with him, and this is the story.

Thank you for watching see you on the next video.