The Case of the Musical Cow by Erle Stanley Gardner

Author:Erle Stanley Gardner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Case of the Musical Cow
ISBN: 9780755140497
Publisher: House of Stratus
Published: 2013-01-16T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

The big sedan glided into smooth speed. Rob turned his eyes to the illuminated instruments on the dashboard and found that the car was full of petrol, that the oil was circulating, that the generator held the needle poised at zero even with all the lights on, and that the speedometer showed the car had been operated only some seven thousand miles.

There were eager horses under the hood and at a slight pressure on the accelerator Rob felt the car fairly shoot ahead.

He came to an intersection, saw a road sign, learned he was on the right road, and started giving the car the gun.

Looking out to the right on the river he could see a huge red glow in the low-flung clouds. He heard the wail of a siren, saw the red blaze of a spotlight, as a rural fire-extinguishing apparatus came rocketing down the side road, turned back to the north and raced valiantly away in the direction of the roaring flames.

Rob settled the car down to legal speed.

It took him something more than an hour to get to Noonville, and then, on impulse, he parked the car by the side of the road, some four hundred yards from the place where he had his little house and kennels.

He locked the car, slipped the key in his pocket, and started groping his way towards the house, taking the precaution to move quietly over familiar back paths, picking his way so that he could approach his kennels from the rear.

He saw them first as a long, low line of buildings looming against the scattered stars, heard the throaty growl of one of the dogs, the restless stirring of others.

Rob spoke to them quietly, trying to keep them from breaking out in a pandemonium of barking. “Steady boys, quiet.”

The dogs recognised his voice. One dog barked gladly, a single short yelp of welcome, and then, under the influence of Rob’s command, lapsed into silence.

The other, older dogs remained quiet, but Rob could hear the sound of motion and knew that tails were wagging. Occasionally he heard a low whining. The dogs sensed the tension in his voice.

Rob stood up, walked directly to the kennels, and stood by the meshed wire, speaking reassuringly to the dogs.

He started to walk boldly to the house but checked himself as he heard a low whine on his right.

It was too dark to see but there was a peculiarly urgent something about that whine, and Rob moved slowly through the darkness until he heard the rattle of a chain. A moment later he made out the form of a dog pulling against a chain, straining every muscle to reach him. The dog’s muzzle was out-thrust, and a series of low, all but inaudible, whimpering whines came from the animal’s throat.

Rob moved a step forward, put out his fingers to touch the dog’s cold nose, then as he stepped closer, said, “Why, it’s Lobo! What are you doing chained up, Lobo?”

Lobo pushed his muzzle under Rob’s face, then crouched, waiting to be released.

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