The ransom of red chief
by
O. Henry
(Summary)
In the story ‘The Ransom of Red Chief’ two
men, Bill and Sam need some money desperately. Sam, the narrator of the story
says that they already have six hundred dollars and they need only two thousand
more to buy a piece of land.
While
thinking, Bill is struck with the idea of kidnapping a child. Both the men decide
to act upon their plan in a small and peaceful town called Summit in Alabama.
They choose the town of Summit for carrying out their plan because it is
backward and populated with more children. They select the son of Ebenezer
Dorset, a well-known and rich man of the town because he can pay two thousand dollars
as a ransom for the release of his son.
They
selected a cave, two miles away from the town, to hide their victim in. Then
they go and catch their victim, the ten years old boy from a street and take
him to the cave. But unlike their expectations, the boy enjoys being kidnapped.
He calls himself ‘Red Chief’ and plays pranks on Bill. He becomes a
trouble-maker for both the kidnappers. He does not let the kidnappers sleep at
night and keep troubling them even in the morning. Next morning, Sam goes out to
the town to know about the situation there but unexpectedly everything seems
calm and quiet.
In
the cave, the boy keeps troubling them, especially Bill. They get so annoyed by
him that while writing a note for ransom to his father, they reduce the money
for ransom and demand fifteen hundred dollars instead of two thousand because
that could increase the chances of the return of that annoying boy soon.
Leaving
Johnny to Bill’s care, Sam goes to post the letter to Ebenezer Dorset for the ransom.
There in the town, Sam hears a man saying that Ebenezer Dorset’s son has been
kidnapped. He becomes happy that the plan is working according to the plan. He
posts the ransom note which says that fifteen hundred dollars should be paid as
a ransom for Johnny’s return. He also mentioned the exact time and place where
the ransom should be kept. He then returns to the cave. But he cannot find Bill
or Johnny.
After
some time, Bill comes in and tells Sam that he has send the kid back home
because he could no longer tolerate him and has dropped the idea of taking
ransom in his return. But while the two men talk, Johnny comes back because he
does not want to go back home. Sam comforts Bill and asks him to be a little
patient and to play with Johnny, because their plan is going to work.
Sam goes
to the town and there he climbs a tree and waits for an answer from Ebenezer
Dorset. Meanwhile, a young bi-cycle-rider arrives and puts a note in the box,
under a tree. Sam waits for an hour after the young man goes away. He then
picks up the note from the box, and goes back to the cave.
After
reaching the cave, both Sam and Bill read the note. The note says, that the
ransom they demanded was too high. Ebenezer Dorset proposes to take two hundred
and fifty dollars to take Johnny back. Bill insists on accepting the proposal,
so that night they go down to the town to leave Johnny home.
They
hand over Johnny and two hundred and fifty dollars to Ebenezer Dorset. When
Johnny realizes that they are leaving, he clings to Bill’s leg but his father
pulls him away. Leaving Johnny back to his home, both the kidnappers run as
fast and as far as they could.
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