Sled Dog School by Terry Lynn Johnson

Author:Terry Lynn Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Twelve

“Bandit, what are you doing here?” But Matt knew what the dog was doing there. He thought back to the route they had taken. There were dozens of corners, dozens of places where a musher could have been thrown off. Lily could be at any of them. And she could be hurt.

Foo lay flat, his chin resting on the snow between his paws, his eyes following Matt, as if he could feel Matt’s distress.

“I have to go,” Matt said.

“You’re leaving us here?” Alex asked.

“My sister fell off this sled somewhere. I have to get her.”

“We can come help,” Tubbs said.

“Yes, let us help,” Alex said, their fight suddenly forgotten. She looked as worried as Matt.

“Okay,” Matt said. “But we have to hurry. No time to snack the dogs. Let’s turn the team around.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Matt hooked Bandit into the spare place in the team beside Savage. This wasn’t how Bandit’s first real run with a full team should happen, but at least it was a good spot on the gang line where Matt could keep an eye on him. Not too close to the front or to the sled, where he could be easily scared. And he’d already had his first two runs with Lily. It was a mystery to Matt why she kept choosing Bandit out of all the dogs in the kennel. Why an untrained yearling? It didn’t matter now. He had to find her.

“I’m driving,” Matt said to Alex.

She nodded and climbed into the sled with Tubbs.

“Ready? All right!”

When they took off, Bandit looked around as if he couldn’t believe he was part of the team. Then he felt the pull on his tug line. He put his head down and charged with all the passion of a yearling. Savage glanced at him with a knowing look. The older dogs had the experience to know how to pace themselves. Bandit would learn.

Soon they arrived at a T-intersection where they’d done a hard gee. Lily could have fallen off here. Matt stopped the team and kicked in the snow hook.

“Lily!” he called, cupping his hands around his mouth.

The dogs watched him strangely over their backs. Matt felt their eyes on him, felt their unease at his panic. But he knew they trusted that he would get them out of whatever situation this was.

“Lily!”

They all paused and listened.

Nothing. No sounds but the chatter of a squirrel and the trees rubbing together in the breeze. Melting snow plopped off branches. Lily was not here. Matt jumped back onto the runners.

“Where is she?” Alex asked, obviously aware of the danger Lily was in. Her eyes met Matt’s and he shook his head.

At the next corner, Matt was sure he’d find Lily lying on the trail, knocked unconscious from hitting a tree. He peered at the solid pines and spruces lining the route. The trees appeared dark and angry, their branches morphing into frowns. She wasn’t here, either.

Each time they stopped, Matt called her name. When there was no response, he imagined worse things.

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