Deathwatch (Robb White)
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40 free Deathwatch (Robb White) trivia questions with answers — literature quiz, new questions added Oct 2026.
Robb White's Deathwatch has been a classroom staple for decades, and it is easy to see why. A hunting trip in remote country turns into a duel between Ben, a young man with nothing but his wits, and Madec, a client who believes money can fix anything. This quiz follows the story from the fatal shot to the tense scenes back in town. Expect questions on the characters, the survival tricks that keep Ben alive, the evidence that decides who is believed, and the man who wrote the book, plus the screen versions it inspired. It suits students revising the novel, teachers building a review game, and anyone who read it at school and wants to see how much stuck.
30 of 40 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01In Robb White's Deathwatch, Madec holds a rare permit to hunt which desert animal?
Bighorn sheep
Bighorn sheep are the trophy Madec wants, and his permit to shoot one lasts only seven days. He fires at the herd before checking what he is aiming at.
Q 02In Deathwatch, what weapon from the dead man's camp does Ben finally use to bring down Madec?
A slingshot
A slingshot with a wrist brace is the one weapon Madec failed to remove from the camp, and Ben practises with it before his ambush.
Q 03In Deathwatch, who does Madec accidentally shoot when he fires at the herd too soon?
An old prospector
An old prospector is the victim, a stranger even Ben does not recognise. Madec's refusal to report the death turns the hunt into a manhunt.
Q 04In Deathwatch, what does Madec force Ben to do at gunpoint before abandoning him in the desert?
Strip off his clothes
Strip off his clothes is the order Madec gives, leaving Ben to die of exposure while he watches from a distance through a telescopic sight.
Q 05Which wholesome TV star played the villain Madec in the 1974 television film of Deathwatch?
Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith played Madec, a rare villain for the man who spent the 1960s as Mayberry's gentle sheriff.
Q 06Which Oscar-winning actor both produced and starred as Madec in the 2014 film of Deathwatch?
Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas produced the film and played Madec as a ruthless tycoon who buys his way into the hunt.
Q 07In Deathwatch, whose forensic evidence finally proves Ben's account true and Madec's a lie?
The town doctor
The town doctor had noted each of Ben's wounds while treating him, and his findings show Ben's smaller gun could not have killed the old man.
Q 08Deathwatch won which Mystery Writers of America award, named after a master of the macabre?
The Edgar
The Edgar for Best Juvenile Mystery went to the book in 1973. The prize itself is a small bust of Edgar Allan Poe.
Q 09In Deathwatch, what is Ben training to become when Madec hires him as a desert guide?
A geologist
A geologist in training, Ben already has experience working in rock country, which is why a stranger from the city wants him along.
Q 10In Deathwatch, what does Ben climb after walking all night in the hope of finding trapped water?
A butte
A butte holds the water Ben needs, caught in a tunnel-like fissure, and he climbs through the morning to get there.
Q 11In Deathwatch, what does Ben fire at Madec during the final ambush at the hunter's camp?
Buckshot
Buckshot that had belonged to the dead man is Ben's only ammunition, and he practises with it before making his move.
Q 12In Deathwatch, what arrives at Madec's camp while Ben shouts unheard from his high hiding place?
A helicopter
A helicopter brings a game warden who talks with Madec and leaves again, its engines drowning out every shout from above.
Q 13In Deathwatch, what vehicle does Ben drive back to town with the wounded Madec tied up inside?
A Jeep
A Jeep carries Ben, the bound Madec and the dead man's body to the sheriff's office, where Ben says he wants to report an accident.
Q 21In Deathwatch, what does Ben warn Madec to wait to see before firing at the herd?
The horns
The horns would show the target was the large male his permit covers, but Madec shoots anyway and hits no animal at all.
Q 22In Deathwatch, what does Madec claim after going alone to check what his shot hit?
That he missed
That he missed is the lie Madec tells, but Ben has already seen blood on the rocks and goes to look for himself.
Q 23In Deathwatch, where in the dead man's camp does Ben find the one useful thing Madec overlooked?
In a locked box
In a locked box Ben finds only a wallet with very little money and a large, well-made weapon, which he takes with him.
Q 14In Deathwatch, where does one of Madec's bullets hit Ben as he searches for water?
His arm
His arm takes a bullet as Madec fires again and again to drive him away from water, adding a wound to thirst and sunburn.
Q 15In Deathwatch, Ben is arrested on suspicion of murder and which other charge after reaching town?
Aggravated assault
Aggravated assault is added because Madec arrives wounded and bound, and his polished version of events sounds more credible.
Q 16In Deathwatch, what does Madec turn into makeshift climbing gear to get at Ben's hiding place?
Tent stakes
Tent stakes made of metal, found among Ben's tools, are what Madec uses as he tries to create handholds up the sheer rock.
Q 17In Deathwatch, what does Ben fashion from cactus nests and tough plant leaves during his ordeal?
Sandals
Sandals are one answer to Ben's swollen, torn feet; he also sacrifices his own underwear to wrap them.
Q 18In Deathwatch, what does Ben ask Les to fetch as proof that he hid in the rock tunnel?
Bird bones
Bird bones lay where Ben had eaten the small creatures that came to drink, proof he was up there while Madec claimed otherwise.
Q 19In Deathwatch, which deputy is in charge of the sheriff's station when Ben arrives with Madec?
Strick
Strick is on duty because the sheriff has gone home, and he orders Ben to untie Madec and take him to the local clinic.
Q 20In Deathwatch, why does Ben agree to guide Madec on the hunt despite disliking the man?
To pay for college
To pay for college is the whole reason: Madec's fee is enough to cover at least one semester, and perhaps two.
Q 24In Deathwatch, what does Ben creep back hoping to take from the dead man's body?
His boots
His boots were the prize, but Madec had got there first and completely undressed the body, staying one step ahead of Ben.
Q 25In Deathwatch, Madec's bribes to Ben include a future job with what kind of business?
An oil company
An oil company post was dangled alongside other payments as Madec tried deal after deal to buy Ben's silence.
Q 26Which newspaper named Robb White's desert thriller Deathwatch an Outstanding Book of the Year?
The New York Times
The New York Times put the book on its Outstanding list, and the American Library Association ranked it among its best of the best for young adults.
Q 27Before the desert thriller Deathwatch, Robb White usually set his adventure novels where?
At sea
At sea was his usual territory, in wartime tales such as Torpedo Run and Flight Deck, so a waterless setting was a real departure.
Q 28Robb White's Deathwatch reached American television screens in 1974 under which new title?
Savages
Savages was directed by Lee H. Katzin, who had earlier made the motor-racing film Le Mans.
Q 29Robb White's Deathwatch became a 2014 big-screen thriller released under which different title?
Beyond the Reach
Beyond the Reach had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival under a shorter name, The Reach.
Q 30Which War Horse star played Ben in the 2014 film version of Robb White's Deathwatch?
Jeremy Irvine
Jeremy Irvine made his film debut for Steven Spielberg; here he plays Ben as an experienced young tracker hired through the local sheriff.