In pairs or groups of 3, read the first four pages – as you read:

- Annotate
o Setting, irony, characters, unfamiliar words, “important stuff”, “rise and fall thingy”,
“conflict”, foreshadowing
- Summarize
- Take notes of characters

Read until “’All right!” says he. ‘That’ll be fine. I never had such fun in all my life.’” On pg. 14

Who are the two main characters? Where are they and why? What is their plan?

Who is “[their] victim”? Why is he chosen?

How does the narrator build suspense in this section?

What does the narrator discover when he returns to the mountain?

Describe the “during-dinner speech”:

What question does the narrator ask and how do you think he reacts to the answer?

Read until “’King Herod,’ says he. ‘You won’t go away and leave me here alone, will you, Sam?’” on pg.
18

Read until the end of pg. 21 “…but there was no response.”

[pg. 18] What does Sam threaten Red Chief with? Does this seem like a good idea, considering his and
Bill’s plan?

[pg. 19] What does Bill want to change about the original plan? What is his reasoning?

[pg. 21] What does Sam discover at Poplar Cove?

[pg. 21] When Sam gets back to the cave, what does he find? What do you think happened?