Ch7-Run for Your Lives!

CHAPTER SEVEN Run for your Lives!

Oki barked furiously at the three men on horseback. "Oki! Quiet!" Jack commanded. "Tell them your sister and your parents have a disease," said Annie. "What?" said Jack. He could barely hear Annie above Oki's barks. "Quiet!" he said. But the puppy kept barking. "I have a terrible disease, Jack," Annie said. "Here, take the reins." She pushed them into Jack's hands. Then she grabbed his backpack and started digging through it. "What are you doing?" he asked. "I have a disease," Annie said, keeping her head down. "What do you mean?" said Jack. Annie said something, but Jack couldn't hear her. Oki barked louder as the riders galloped closer and closer. As they pulled up in front of the cart, Jack saw that the men had grimy faces, bristly beards, and knotted hair down to their shoulders.

"Halt!" the biggest man ordered. Jack pulled on the reins to stop the oxen. Oki barked and growled from the cart. "Quiet!" Jack ordered the puppy. He was gripping the reins so tightly his knuckles were white. The huge rider glared at him with small, mean eyes. "Who are you?" he snarled.

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"I'm Jack and she's my sister, Annie," said Jack. He tried to keep his voice steady. Annie didn't look up. She was still hunched over the backpack. Jack had no idea what she was doing. The rider glanced toward the back of the cart. "Who lies there?" he asked. "Tell them about our disease," Annie said, keeping her head down. "Um…our mother and father…they're sick," said Jack. "And my sister—she's sick, too." "Bad disease!" hissed Annie. "They all have a bad disease!" Jack had to shout to be heard above Oki's barking. "What disease?" growled the rider. "I'm sorry, what?" said Jack. "What is their bad disease?" the man said. "Well, it, uh…it's—" Jack stammered. "Yellow fever!" Annie shouted. She threw off her hood and looked up at the men. "Run for your lives!"

Jack nearly fell off the cart. Annie looked terrible! Her face was covered with bright yellow spots! The men pulled back. Grunting and growling, they spurred their horses past the cart. The horses broke into a gallop, and the thieves thundered away. "Well, how rude was that?" said Annie, laughing. "What happened to you?" cried Jack, staring at her. Annie held up the yellow marker from Jack's backpack, the one he'd used to highlight the puppy book. Jack burst out laughing, too. "Oh, man, that was quick thinking." "Thank you!" said Annie. Jack looked back at the king and queen. Arthur had slept through the whole incident. Guinevere was sitting up, holding Oki. The puppy was still barking at the fleeing horsemen. "What happened?" the queen asked. "Oki was barking so loudly, I could not hear. Where did