Chapter four
More time passed for the helpless young women. Their freedom finally arrived in the unlikeliest cavalry.
Jodi was the first to see them from her vantage point, tied to the side of the oak facing west. As the three uniformed figures bounded for them she perked up, not sure what to think after being deserted by the ranger. As they came closer she realized they were three boys, none of them over 12.
“Ung?” Jodi asked herself.
The boys stopped at the two trees with three girls tied to them, their freckled leader declaring, “Don’t worry, ladies! We’re here to rescue you!”
Each boy took to pulling a gag out from one of the girls’ mouths.
“Phew!” Said Penny, “Thanks fellas. You’re true scouts. Get us out of this, huh?”
“No problem,” said Freckles, “I got a merit badge in knot tying.” Freckles went to untying Penny while the other two boys worked to undo the ropes binding the other two girls. Suddenly Freckles stopped and stared at the knot binding Penny’s feet, “Dudes, check this out!” The boys scampered to their friend, and all three kneeled to get a closer look, “A double-barrel cross hitch workman’s knot! This guy was a sailor!”
“Hey guys!” Penny called from above.
“Sorry, Miss. We’ll get right on it.”
But Hooper’s craftsmanship had even the three scouts befuddled, with them tinkering and pulling at knots that wouldn’t budge. Suddenly Jodi and Daisy felt their ropes squeezing the air out of them.
“Don’t!” Jodi gasped, “That’s tighter!”
“Sorry. Dudes, pull the other way.” The boys pulled and picked for another twenty minutes before Freckles finally threw down his Scout Cap in frustration. “I give up.”
The girls felt their hope drain out of them, and sagged back into the ropes.
“Well, can’t you get your Scoutmaster or something?” Daisy asked.
“Naw, I’ll just have to cut you loose.” The boy pulled out a penknife.
“What? Why didn’t you cut the ropes in the first place?” Penny demanded.
“That would’ve been cheating.”
Penny rolled her eyes but didn’t argue with the boy who was her only hope. He flipped the blade open and began sawing at the cord that wound around her hands. He next cut the rope wrapped around her body, and the cord fell like a dead snake to the ground. As he sawed through the rope tying her ankles she said, “You’ll get a Merit badge for this, kiddo.”
The other two boys cut Daisy and Jodi loose. Once all three girls were undone, they stretched their limbs and massaged their burned wrists.
Daisy approached Freckles. “You guys are my heroes. How can we ever thank you?”
“Was a privilege, Miss. Scout’s Honor.” The boy saluted.
“Well, I think I should repay you somehow.” Daisy leaned over, grabbed the boy with both hands around his arms, and kissed him long and hard on the mouth. The boy stepped back, wide-eyed and red as a tomato.
“Uh…um…Wow. Thanks ma’am. I.. should go.” He and the other two boys bounded off, back in the direction of their campsite.
“Bet he never thought his first kiss would be like that.” Daisy smiled, watching them run back up the hill.
Next