The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy, Todd Harris Page A

cage.
    “Whoa,” he said. “Must’ve hit another bump!”
    “That was weird,” said Orangebeard. “I didn’t even feel it.”
    “My fault, really,” Frederic said. “I shouldn’t distract you from your driving. Carry on.” He turned back to Gustav and Rapunzel.
    “Snow’s aim is truly amazing,” Rapunzel whispered in admiration.
    “What’s next?” Gustav wondered aloud. The question was soon answered when Duncan’s horse, Papa Scoots Jr., darted out of the trees and onto the road behind the wagon. At first they thought the horse had no rider, but they soon noticed Duncan hanging upside down, under the animal’s belly.
    Rapunzel readied her tears.
    With his wavy-haired head dangling inches from the rocky ground, Duncan scooped up the keys. Placing the brass ring between his teeth, he strenuously pulled himself up the side of his horse and back into the saddle. He took a moment to give his friends a thumbs-up before leaping from his mount and landing on the rear of the prison wagon. He gripped the bars of the cage door to stay upright. Papa Scoots Jr., happy to be free of Duncan, veered off into the trees once again.

“Gustav, you look great,” Duncan said as he tried to keep his balance on a narrow lip of wood. “Have you lost weight?”
    “Stick the key in the hole,” Gustav snarled, “before I squeeze you between these bars and pull you in here with us.”
    “Oh, right.” Duncan unlocked the cage.
    Frederic glanced over his shoulder, relieved to see that Orangebeard still had his back to them. “I can’t believe this is working,” he said.
    It was working. Almost perfectly. Too bad Duncan’s wasn’t the only rescue attempt that afternoon on Old Pinebrush Road.

8
A N O UTLAW P UTS HIS R IGHT F OOT IN , P UTS HIS R IGHT F OOT O UT
    “ T his must be them,” Liam whispered. He and Ella, on horseback, sat hidden among the evergreens, watching Greenfang and his platoon of bounty hunters come up the road toward them.
    “But where are Frederic and the others?” Ella asked. “And what are those giant animals?”
    “They look like mongooses,” said Liam. “Or is it mongeese?” He shrugged. “That’ll be the first thing Frederic says to us after we rescue him.”
    “Look, I see a wagon in the distance!” Ella pointed down the road. “That’s got to be where they’re being held.”
    “Perfect,” Liam said, pulling a long rope from his saddlebag. “Once the riders have passed, I’ll take out the wagon driver. We can steal the whole thing and be gone before they even notice.”
    “Won’t work,” Ella said. “There’s no way that wagon can outrun their horses.”
    “Well, what would you suggest?” Liam asked, sharpness in his voice.
    “We stay hidden,” she replied. “Take out as many as we can in an ambush.”
    “Well, the smart thing to do would be to take out the driver.”
    “And alert the more dangerous guys to our presence?”
    “That wouldn’t— Oh, crud. They’re almost here. I’ve got to get into position.” Liam jumped from his horse and shinnied up a nearby tree to set his rope.
    “Don’t do it, Liam,” Ella hissed. “You’ll give us away.” She pulled out a slingshot, loaded a stone, and took aim at the approaching Greenfang.
    “Put that away!” Liam whisper-shouted as he looped his rope over a high branch. “You’re going to tip off the wagon driver. We do this my way.”
    “You’re not always right, Liam,” Ella snarled, steadying her hand and pulling back on the slingshot.
    “I’m not always wrong either!”
    Neither of them was aware that, at that very moment, Duncan was on the back of the prison wagon, swinging open the cage door to free their friends.
    The bounty hunters passed the copse of trees that hid Ella and Liam. Ella clenched her jaw and kept her slingshot trained on Greenfang but didn’t fire. Liam wrapped his hands around his rope but didn’t jump. Each was waiting for the other to make a move. Until, finally, both lost