PART 10
Plumfield was now silent. The children, being overwhelmed with fatigue, had all gone to bed. Jo sat alone in the kitchen, contemplating the night's events and wondering if Nick were safe. A loud rapping at the front door startled her.
"Who could it be?" she whispered as she anxiously approached the bolted door. After one timid peek through the window, her fears vanished. She could see Nick and some other men waiting on the porch. She quickly undid the lock and opened the door.
"Nick, you made it back," Jo said, sighing. She saw that the other men were the sheriff and his posse.
"I'm fine," replied NIck. "We've got some news for you."
"Mrs. Bhaer," the sheriff tipped his hat. "I wanted to inform you that the escaped prisoner has been apprehended. Once we heard him shouting and firing his pistol, we knew right where he was. It was an easy arrest, since he had spent all his bullets."
The deputy spoke next. "He was furious that the girl he had taken had kicked him and escaped by jumping off the bridge. We have some men still searching for her."
Before Jo could reply, a voice came unexpectedly from the kitchen. "I'm right here," said Nan, who had awoken and come downstairs for a glass of milk.
"Young lady," said the sheriff, "what you did tonight took great courage. We commend you for your help in apprehending this criminal."
Jo smiled proudly at Nan.
"I'm going to talk to Mr. Bridger," he continued. "I'm certain he would be interested in publishing your account of this evening's events in the newspaper."
Nan smiled back at Jo.
"And furthermore," said the deputy, "we will see that you are awarded a sizable portion of any monetary reward that may be due."
"Oh, Nan," Jo exclaimed, "you can save the money for medical school!"
The sheriff shook his head and chuckled. "Will probably thought taking a girl as a hostage would be easy. I'll bet he never imagined what he was in for tonight."
"Yes, I was going to enter those very sentiments into my Conscience Book," Jo agreed. "Will learned a lesson the hard way tonight."
"What lesson?" asked Nick.
Jo placed her arm around Nan, and hugged her.
"Never underestimate Miss Nan Harding," she smiled.
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