Chapter 25

Felicia stumbled as she sprinted toward the village. The village dogs caught wind of an intruder and immediately began barking furiously. Soon, nearly every dog in the village joined in. Sweat broke out on Felicia's forehead as she realized she had overlooked this detail—the barking would alert the villagers and the criminals pursuing her! To avoid bringing trouble to the village, she had to find a hiding place along the way. Just then, footsteps echoed, and dozens of buff and sturdy-looking villagers charged to the village entrance. Felicia quickly crouched down to hide and overheard one villager ask, "Whose woman has run off? Did we catch her?" Another replied, "No one has run away; they're all tied up tight!" With that, the villagers relaxed, putting down their hoes and heading back, chatting among themselves. "Keep an eye on that one; don't let her escape! The buyer will come to collect her in the morning, and then everyone in the village will share in the profits!" Felicia