It was a lazy afternoon in Jawbone Junction. Sheriff Smileytooth sat in the office of the Happyteeth Jail with his friends, Deputies Toothbrush and Toothpaste.

“Deputies, we must catch Bushwhack Plaque before he can spread more decay,” the sheriff said.

Suddenly, the school bell began to ring. Sheriff Smileytooth opened the door just as a gang of outlaws galloped by.

Heads popped up in windows all over town.

Deputy Toothbrush said, “Hey, that feller in front looks like the outlaw on the poster!”

Deputy Toothpaste replied, “Yeah, and they captured three school children!”

Sheriff Smileytooth and his deputies grabbed their flossoes and ran out the door. At that moment Miss Sarah, the schoolmarm, galloped up the street.

“Stop! Thieves!” she cried. She saw Sheriff Smileytooth and yelled, “They bushwhacked children from the playground!”

Sheriff Smileytooth called after her: “Come back, Sarah!”

But Sarah didn’t stop. Sheriff Smileytooth and his deputies mounted their horses and galloped after her.

Finally, Sheriff Smileytooth caught up with Sarah. He grabbed her horse’s reins. “If you won’t go back, stay close to us. Let’s go!”

They followed the tracks of Bushwhack Plaque and his Cavity Gang into some juniper trees. The trees trailed up the side of a mountain and into a ravine where a narrow creek flowed.

After riding to the creek, they fanned out among the rocks. They looked and looked but found no sign of the outlaws. The sun began to set.

Sheriff Smileytooth signaled the others to gather around him.

He spoke in a low voice. “We’ll wait here. If Bushwhack Plaque and his Cavity Gang believe we have left, they will come out of their hideout. When they do, we will capture them and rescue the children.”

All was quiet except for a snort from Sarah’s horse. As darkness fell, Sarah looked up and saw a light flickering through the trees.

They nudged their horses up the mountain and tied them to a juniper tree. Sheriff Smileytooth whispered, “Deputies, we’ll climb the rest of the way on foot.”

He signaled Sarah to stay near the creek. The lawmen crept toward the light. When the Sheriff looked back, he saw her following. “You must go back, Sarah,” he whispered. “The children will need you to care for them.”

“But I want to help rescue the children!”

Sheriff Smileytooth gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “You might be in danger! Please stay.”

Sarah blushed. Reluctantly, she walked down to the creek and hid behind a juniper tree.

The lawmen crept up to the outlaw camp. The children sat on a log in front of the fire outside a cave. One of the Cavity Gang guarded them.

Sheriff Smileytooth drew in a sudden breath. The children were covered in plaque and couldn’t move. He whispered, “Next the cavities will attack them!”

He signaled the deputies to sneak up behind the guard.

They wrestled the guard to the ground, gagged him with toothpaste, and tied him up.

Before the children could cry out, Sheriff Smileytooth whispered, “We’re here to rescue you!” Then Sheriff called, “Bushwhack Plaque, come out of the cave and surrender!”

Cautiously, Bushwhack Plaque peered out of the cave. In a wink the sheriff tossed his flosso and lassoed Bushwhack.

“We’re being bushwhacked!” growled Bushwhack Plaque.
Quickly, Deputy Toothpaste gagged him with toothpaste.
The other cavity lurched groggily out of the cave. The deputies tied up and gagged him with toothpaste, too!

The lawmen flossoed all three children. One chunk of plaque fell off the first child’s nose. One chunk fell off the second child’s toes. Another fell off the third child’s clothes.

Sarah heard them coming down the mountain and stepped out from behind the tree.

She hugged the children, despite the nasty plaque covering them and led them down to the stream.

“What a mess!” she groaned.

Into the stream they went. The deputies flossed and brushed them clean as new.

Sarah dried them with her apron. She also dried the tears that rolled down their cheeks.

“There, there,” she cooed. “You are clean and safe now.”

“I want to go home!” cried one of the children.

The next morning, back in town, Dentist Gary examined the children. He found that all the plaque had been flossoed off. The children were shiny and clean.

“Brush twice a day and floss once a day, and your teeth will stay healthy and clean,” he admonished.

From the dentist’s office, the children could hear the shouts of the townspeople: “Hurrah for Sheriff Smileytooth! Hurrah for Sarah! Bushwhack Plaque is shellacked!”

That same day the whole town held a celebration in the town square. The townspeople brought fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, baked beans, and blueberry pie.

During dinner, the mayor gave medals to Sheriff Smileytooth, his deputies, and Sarah. Sarah hugged the children, and the townspeople all cheered, “Hurrah! Hurrah!”

That evening a dance was held in honor of the heroes. While dancing with Sheriff Smileytooth, Sarah hugged him and said, “Thank you for saving the children and putting Bushwhack Plaque and his Cavity Gang in jail.”

Sheriff Smileytooth hugged her, too.

Then he smiled.

The End