Strudel's Forever Home by Martha Freeman

Author:Martha Freeman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 2016-01-10T05:00:00+00:00

Chief, Dog of the Old West

On a hot, dusty day in Groovers Gulch, Sheriff Silver was sitting at the desk in the sheriff’s office, his faithful dog, Chief, napping by his side. Suddenly Chief, who was sleek and powerfully built, sat up straight, rotated his ears and barked the sharp bark that meant: danger!

“What is it, Chief?” Sheriff Silver asked, but already the canine had scrambled to his feet and trotted to the door. Soon the two were standing on the wooden walk that ran the length of Main Street. Only then did the sheriff’s inferior human ears sense the sound that had disturbed Chief. It was a rumble like distant thunder, and it was growing louder. At the same time, a brown cloud of powdery dust billowed on the horizon north of town.

Sheriff Silver knew what that was.

So did Chief.

And so did the leading townsfolk, now gathering in the blazing sunshine on the treeless street.

“Stampede!” cried Sheriff Silver.

“A-yup,” said one of the townsfolk.

Dog and sheriff regarded each other with alarm: The old home place lay north of town . . . dead in the path of the cattle stampede!

“Head ’em up, boy!” cried Sheriff Silver as he grabbed the reins of his palomino, swung his lean body into the saddle and galloped toward home.

Chief streaked ahead like a well-aimed bullet.

Our heroes were moving fast, but the raging herd of beef on the hoof had a big head start. Sheriff Silver didn’t want to think about what would happen if the bovines reached the home place first.

That was the end of the chapter. Jake turned the page but did not read on. I couldn’t believe it. Would Chef Pierre and Rachel Mae be all right? Or would they be flattened by cows?

Woof, I said, but my human was staring into space. I licked his hand, which tasted like spaghetti.

“What? Oh . . . sorry, Stru,” Jake said. “I got a lot on my mind. See, if I’m gonna do it, tonight’s the—”

Before he could finish the sentence, his mom called, “Bedtime, Jake! And don’t forget to brush your teeth!”

Jake didn’t answer right away. Finally he sighed. “Mom?” he called back. “Uh, sorry, but I forgot to walk Strudel.”

A walk? A walk? A walk? Yippeee!

I was on the floor and down the stairs before Jake even put on his shoes. I heard him say something to his mom, and I heard his mom reply. I could guess what she was saying: “Come right back, and be careful.”

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