You mean, they can opt out of the contract they never opted into, by the trivial expedient of having a price set on their heads and spending the rest of their natural lives on the lam? Oh, silly me!
One could argue they “signed” their agreement by not fleeing, becoming outlaws or revolting.
That's precisely your (and tpaine's) argument, yes. You are saying that I can come to your house and declare myself your master, and it's a legally binding contract given that you didn't flee? Um, what gave me the right to go make such a declaration in the first place? And since fleeing is incompatible with exercising your property rights, how did I get the authority to tell you that you either (1) accept my contract, or (2) forfeit your property rights? Do you actually know the word "duress"?
"You mean, they can opt out of the contract they never opted into, by the trivial expedient of having a price set on their heads and spending the rest of their natural lives on the lam?"
No, and admittedly "outlaw" might be the wrong word.
I mean he can live outside the bounds of the law to the extent that he is able to do so. Lot's of people live outside the bounds of the law to the extent they are able to, some in small ways and others in large ways. Some are less smart about it, have a price set on their heads and spend part of their lives on the lam, but since they are among the less smart, not usually the rest of their natural lives.
"Oh, silly me!"
Agreed.
"You are saying that I can come to your house and declare myself your master, and it's a legally binding contract given that you didn't flee? "
No. You neglected become an outlaw and revolt. If you did not do any of that, if you meekly accepted the situation, then you accepted the situation.
"Um, what gave me the right to go make such a declaration in the first place?"
I don't say there is such a right. But it does happen, if not exactly the way you laid it out then in similar ways. Isn't that what happened in the chain of theft you laid out? It's a misuse of force.
If you are doing it under duress, you haven't agreed to it and you are what I have termed an outlaw because I haven't found a better term yet.