C. T. Suddeth

Lord of the Caves Part 27

“Oh-koh-rah and Hah-nah-pah, come with me,” Oh-see-rah commanded.

Spear throwers and torches in hand, they quickly joined him.

He filled them in. “Fan out and we’ll go to the creek in search of Lol-non.”

Oh-see-rah didn’t have to point out that Lol-non was likely already in the alligator’s belly. Did the wee man have no sense in his wee head?

Between the torches and the moon, Oh-see-rah could see a few paces ahead. Even the blazing bugs were hiding. Oh-see-rah took the center, Oh-koh-rah on the right and Hah-nah-pah to the left. They slowly combed through a meadow favored by deer.

“Come quickly!” shouted Oh-koh-rah.

Oh-see-rah rushed toward Oh-koh-rah to help, though he had little stomach to view the remains of Lol-non. Curses on the alligator kind. The stink of fish hit Oh-see-rah. Either he was closer to the creek than he realized, or the alligator was busy eating their fish. He slowed and peered through the dark.

“See the wee lad?” Hah-nah-pah asked.

“I’m looking,” Oh-koh-rah replied.

Oh-see-rah tiptoed to the fish. No alligator.

The net full of dead fish wiggled toward Oh-see-rah. He jumped back.

“It’s me.” Lol-non’s voice.

Smiling, Oh-see-rah picked up one of the nets.

Lol-non stood up. “I am sure happy to see you all.”

“Why are you hiding under the fish?” Oh-see-rah asked.

“Hiding from the alligator.”

Oh-see-rah hoisted Lol-non to his shoulder. “Why are the fish away from the creek?”

Lol-non laughed. “You all ran off, so I tried to drag them to the cave. The alligator chased me, so I hid.”

“Lucky for you the alligator didn’t eat our fish…wait…why were you following us?” Oh-see-rah had a mind to spank him.

Lol-non squirmed. “I wanted to fish, too.”

Hah-nah-pah squeezed Lol-non’s calf. “You’ll make good bait.”

“Not funny.” Lol-non squirmed. “I rescued the fish for you all.”

“And that will save you a spanking from me,” Oh-see-rah said.

Hah-nah-pah and Oh-koh-rah grabbed the fish, and they headed back to the cave.

“Thank you for coming back for me,” said Lol-non. “It won’t happen again.”

“Be more careful,” Oh-see-rah ordered.

Lol-non sighed. “It is hard going from being a chief’s son to being not much bigger than a Dell Folk baby.”

Oh-see-rah squeezed Lol-non’s knees. “What are you complaining about? You get to ride around on the Lord of the Cave’s shoulders.”

“The cave!” Lol-non bucked his body.

Two guards with torches stood just outside the cave just as Oh-see-rah had ordered with the new safety drills. Oh-see-rah was so glad to reach the safety of Tiger Rock Cave he decided not to humiliate Lol-non with a spanking.

At the mouth of the cave, he handed Lol-non to Oo-tah-nah. “Here’s your baby man. Let him tell you what he did.”

Lol-non closed his eyes. “It won’t happen again.”

Oo-tah-nah shook her head. “Later, I will punish you.”

Lol-non winced.

Oh-see-rah stood on the Great Flat Rock and raised his hands high. “Listen up!” He told everyone about the whisker fish and the alligator. Then he told them about Lol-non saving their fish catch.

Everyone cheered, “Lol-non!”

AHOOOON! One of the guards sounded his ram’s horn.

AHOOOON! The other guard sounded his ram’s horn.

“You know the drill!” Oh-see-rah shouted.

Spear throwers ready, the two guards backed up to the paling stakes.

WHOOOOOAN! The alligator leapt at them.

TO BE CONTINUED

Copyright 2021 Charles Suddeth