Cracker! by Kadohata Cynthia

Author:Kadohata, Cynthia [Kadohata, Cynthia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Atheneum
Published: 2008-06-20T07:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

CRACKER RAN AS FAST AS SHE COULD. HER MUSCLES had gotten stronger every day, and she loved to feel their power as she pushed off the ground to gallop. If she got caught, there would be a lot of trouble. So despite a nearly overwhelming desire, she didn’t stop to eat the steak she had clenched in her jaws, just ran as fast as she could. Tristie raced by her side, and a few other dogs ran behind them. The calls of the men grew farther and farther away. She spotted a row of tall cans in front of her. Smelled like gas cans. Right before she reached the cans, she pushed up on her back legs as hard as she could and felt herself soar into the air. But she never forgot to keep her mouth clamped. She knew she would make it; she cleared the cans by such a small amount that her back paws brushed them as she landed. She stopped for one second and swallowed the steak.

By the time the other dogs reached her, the steak was gone. She could hear yelling in the background. The noisy man yelled loudest of all. She hung her head low as the noisy man and all the other men ran around the cans. They smelled of sweat. Rick marched up to her. She hung her head even lower and whined. She lifted her eyes lovingly and pawed at Rick. Before Rick could say a word, the noisy man spoke up. “That was your dinner, mister. I’ve told you guys to keep those dogs on a leash.”

In the short time Cracker had been here, she’d noticed a change in the way Rick treated the noisy man. Rick was a lot more casual with him. Now he said, “Uh-huh, Sergeant,” all the while glaring at Cracker.

Twenty had managed to procure some steak by trading a pile of choice magazines he’d obtained from somewhere. Who knew where he got the stuff he traded? That was one of his specialties. Twenty had specialties, focuses. No generalist there.

The men pulled the dogs by their collars into the kennels. Rick pushed Cracker in and said, “Bad girl! I’ll see you tomorrow. No supper.” He walked off. Cracker looked around. Every dog was staring at her. She regurgitated the steak and sniffed at it. Mmmm. Smelled good. Very good. Then she swallowed it again and lay in the place where the setting sun slanted over the gated side of her kennel. She watched Rick’s back retreat into the distance. She liked steak. Very, very good. She closed her eyes and let the sun warm her face. Every day was pretty good. Sometimes Rick took her out to work. The days were mostly dry. The temperatures were pleasant in the mornings and evenings, but when she worked in the afternoons, she got hot. Whenever she tried to drink from anyplace except Rick’s steel pot or her bowl, he got mad at her. Right now she lapped up water from her bowl before lying in the sun again to fall asleep.

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