Deathwatch (novel)

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Deathwatch is a book authored by Robb White and published in 1972. The book was awarded the 1973 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery from the Mystery Writers of America.

It features a skilled, successful hunter and business man, Madec, who goes to the desert after receiving a rare permit to shoot bighorn in the desert. He hires a 22-year-old college student named Ben, who is going to help show Madec where the bighorn are.

After the third day of the venture, Madec accidentally shot an old man who was living in the mountains, and he wanted Ben to keep it a secret, as he was a man of importance who did not have time to sit in jail. Ben said that the honest thing to do was for the two of them to report the accidental shot, but Madec had other ideas. Ben was stubborn and refused to comply with Madec. As a result, Madec gave Ben two choices. Madec could shoot Ben on the spot, or Ben could make an attempt to escape the desert by walking 45 miles to the nearest highway without clothes, food, or water. And worst of all was that Madec would make sure Ben wouldn't make it and that he would be watching him the whole way.

By the end of the book, Ben escapes the desert, No one believes Ben's story even though Ben discredits Madec by explaining how Madec lied about several things. One included the clothing of Les, the game warden. However, according to Ben, Les wore a purple shirt, yellow shorts, and white shoes, which was different from the game warden uniform. Madec's lawyers however claim Ben had his .22 hornet with a scope so he could see the clothes Les was wearing even though they claimed Ben was several miles away. However The Doctor that was in had to be the final proof that Madec's story was a lie. As final proof, the slingshot, which Madec had thrown away before the trial, was produced by the Doctor. After that no one in the hearing believed what Madec's lawyers said. The lawyers in the case finally decide to investigate even more, and Ben is found not-guilty. When Ben is given the option to charge Madec with aggravated assault, Ben responds with "I came here to report an accident." That is how the book ends.

[edit] Other adaptations

The book was also the basis for the 1974 TV movie Savages starring Andy Griffith (as Madec) and Sam Bottoms (as Ben)

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