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Show It was only a matter of time before they overtook him, but he had led them far away from his hidden treasure. When they found his pouch carried nothing of worth, one of them grabbed the bag of charms from his neck and dumped the contents on the ground. Nuiji shut his eyes, too afraid to look. Only his tribal medicine man had the power to look upon those sacred objects and live. How long his eyes remained closed he could not tell. Only when he felt the pouch being re-tied around his neck, did he open them. He read fear on the faces of some of his captors. They had recognized the contents of his pouch. Perhaps now they would not kill him. They began arguing, and even though he did not understand their talk, he knew it was over him. When they bound his hands and feet, he was not surprised. They were too cruel to let him go. His quest was a noble one and if he must give his life for it, he would do so proudly. His only regret was that Supi would never be a princess. He felt a raindrop, and only then did he remember the storm clouds he had seen that morning. He heard his enemies grumbling. They did not like the approaching storm. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky and echoed in the canyons. It began to pour, and the hunters huddled around the fire. "They are being punished for disturbing my bag of charms," Nuiji thought. He was almost certain they felt that way, too. When lightning, struck a nearby tree and set it ablaze, they grabbed their belongings and left. Nuiji knew it was only a matter of time before they would return. He must act quickly. He rolled to a muddy spot and rubbed his bound hands in it until they were slick. He could feel the mud helping. There was pain, for the coarse yucca ropes cut and scraped his skin raw as he pulled. The thought of escaping gave him fresh courage and soon his hands were |
