What are the most important events in Chapters 17 and 18 of The Silver Sword?

Here are the important events from these two chapters in point form for you. 

In Chapter 17:

• Edek is still suffering from ill health so Ruth decides to stop travelling and rest for a week.


• The children camp in a meadow.


• Jan and Ruth find temporary work in a village nearby.


• Jan starts coming back with tins of food.


• Edek realizes Jan must be stealing the food.


• Edek follows Jan to the train track and discovers Jan cutting signal wires to stop trains.


• Edek is the one who gets in trouble for this stunt.

In Chapter 18:

• The American military charges Edek with being part of a local gang that has been robbing trains.


• Edek tries to explain what happened, and Ruth, Bronia, and Jan show up at the hearing.


• Ruth persuades Jan to admit that he was the one working with the gang.


• Captain Greenwood, the judge at the hearing, is understanding but tries to convince Jan of the unlawfulness of his actions.


• Jan promises to listen to Ruth in the future.


• Captain Greenwood gives Jan the choice of paying a fine or spending time in prison.


• Since the children don't have any money, Jan has to accept the prison term.

You can read more summaries and analyses of The Silver Sword .