Over the next few days, the settlers and Peanuts Gang were hard at work building a fort, should the Indians return to attack.
"All right! This one's ready to hoist!" Ben said one rainy day.
"Two on each side." instructed Lon. "Ready, now? Push!"
"And make sure you keep it from slipping!" Lucy called out as she headed towards Ratcliffe's tent.
"Come on, lass, it's only a little picket fence." said Ben as he, Lon, John, Thomas, Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroedor, Pig Pen, Peppermint Patty and Marcie tried to raise the last section of the fort wall.
"Steady, steady!" said Lon.
"There you go!" said Ben once the section was up.
"That should keep 'em out, eh, Chuck?" Peppermint Patty said, smiling affectionately to Charlie Brown, who awkwardly replied. "If you say so."
As he walked away, not seeing Meeko climb down the plank, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and Linus turned to see John quietly shoveling the wet dirt.
"You feeling all right, sir?" asked Marcie.
"What?" John asked back.
"Well, you have been quiet these past few days." reminded Linus.
"Oh, it's probably because he missed all the action." guessed Lon.
"Ah, don't worry, John." said Thomas, who placed a hand on John's shoulder. "You'll get your chance to deal with the Indians."
"Yeah, we'll take care of them like that we did last time, eh, mates?" said Lon, who picked up a nearby pickaxe and made believe it was a gun, while singing.
We shot ourselves an Injun
Or maybe two or three
"All right, you howling nutter, get to work!" snapped Ben.
"Come on, Ben. It's just a little fun." said Lon.
"Oh, we're having loads of fun, all right." Pig-Pen said sarcastically, for the rain had doused his rain cloud.
"Look at us!" Schroedor groaned in frustration. "No gold, no food, while Ratcliffe sits up in his tent all day, happy as a clam."
Inside his tent, however, Ratcliffe was anything but happy.
"I'm doomed!" he said. "I should be wallowing in riches right now, Lucille, and I haven't seen so much as a speck!"
Meanwhile, Meeko peeked inside his tent to see Sally placing a merry-go-round with bones tied to it in front of Percy.
"Spoiled mutt." she muttered to herself, leaving the pampered pug to munch on one of the bones.
But when Percy tried to eat another, he saw that the rest of the bones were not where they used to be.
That's when he saw Meeko on top of the merry-go-round, helping himself to the bones he had plucked.
Upon seeing Percy growling angrily at him, Meeko flashed a smile, gave him a scratch on the chin and dashed for it, with Percy in hot pursuit.
"Where could it be?" said Ratcliffe, who had his eyes focused on his paper and the map. "I've mined the forests and the hills and swamps, and...nothing!"
"Maybe all of this is just a fool's errand." assumed Lucy.
"How can this be a fool's errand, Lucille?" asked Ratcliffe. "How can this be a fool's errand?!"
As he spoke, Ratcliffe and Lucy heard a groan.
They turned and gasped in shock, for they saw an arrow sticking out of Wiggins's head.
"I…I…I made it myself." he said, pulling off the fake arrow from his head.
Realizing it was all a joke, Lucy snatched the arrow from Wiggins, saying. "That wasn't funny, you blo..."
But she cut her secentence upon looking at the arrow.
"Ratcliffe, you don't suppose the Indians..."
"My sentiments exactly." replied Ratcliffe, who looked at the arrow, then turned to...
"Wiggins, why do you think those insolent heathens attacked us?" he asked.
"Because we invaded their land and cut down their trees and dug up their earth?" guessed Wiggins.
"Pretty smart." commented Lucy.
"It's the gold!" Ratcliffe concluded, ignoring Wiggins's correct answer. "They have it and they don't want us to take it from them. Well, I'll just have to take it by force, then, won't I?"
He stormed out of his tent and found Peppermint Patty & Marcie playing cards with Ben & Lon.
"You there! Where's Captain Smith?"
Startled by the sound of his voice, the four of them stood up and looked around.
"Well, he's… gone!" said Lon.
"Aye, your singing must have scared him off." assumed Ben.
"Nah, I think something else was bothering him." said Peppermint Patty.
"Well, then, go get him, for heaven's sake!" ordered Ratcliffe.
"But what if we run into the Indians?" asked Marcie.
"That's what guns and clubs are for, dear." said Ratcliffe. "Now, arm yourselves and get moving!"
Out in the forest, Percy still charged after Meeko, unaware that he was hiding on the head of a moose, posing as a fur cap.
Once he saw that Percy had gone past them, Meeko hopped down from the moose's head, gave him one of Percy's bones and a pat, then scurried off.