Jinty's Farm by Kate Blackadder

Author:Kate Blackadder [Blackadder, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2020-06-26T00:00:00+00:00

As Isla expected, Calum was thrilled to find that he and his mum were to look for the missing collie.

‘Will we look down all the rabbit holes?’ ‘Could he have climbed a tree?’ ‘Maybe he got into the henhouse.’

‘If he was in the henhouse Mairi would have seen him,’ said Isla. ‘She fed the hens half an hour ago. And collies are clever but I don’t think they climb trees. We’ll have a look for rabbit holes though.’ A young, excitable dog could easily have gone after a rabbit and got stuck.

‘Pip! Pip!’ Calum dashed hither and thither.

Isla didn’t have the heart to him to tell him the dog might respond to Scoot instead. When he was a distance away she said, out of the corner of her mouth, ‘Scoot?’, feeling completely daft and relieved there was no one to hear her. Not even the dog as it turned out.

Keeping Calum within sight so that he didn’t get lost became her priority as she struggled to keep up with him.

Fortunately for her, he suddenly stopped and waited for her.

‘Look, it’s like a wee cave,’ he said, crawling behind foliage that partially hid an overhang in the bank. ‘Can you see me, Mum?’

One foot and an elbow stuck out through the fronds.

Isla smothered a laugh. ‘Not much of you. No dogs in there?’ she asked, bending over to peer inside.

Calum emerged. ‘No, but it’d be a good place for Pip if it was rainy.’

‘We’re nearly at Uncle Doug and Auntie Kerry’s house,’ said Isla, brushing the dry earth from Calum’s knees. ‘Shall we see if Pip’s come home by himself?’

‘Maybe I can sit on Auntie Kerry’s special chair,’ said Calum.

‘I don’t think she’ll be back yet,’ said Isla. ‘Douglas might not be there either.’

But as they came closer to the house she could see them both through that huge window; it must be like living in a goldfish bowl. From the body language it was evident they were having a very deep discussion.

As she tried to think of a reason to give Calum as to why they shouldn’t interrupt, a truck drew up behind them and a neighbouring farmer got out – holding a collie on the end of a makeshift lead.

Alerted by the noise of the vehicle Douglas came to the door.

‘Found this lad wandering round our place,’ said the farmer. ‘Someone said you’d got a new one, Douglas – he yours?’

‘Aaw, I wanted to find him,’ said Calum. ‘Me and Mum have been looking.’

Douglas took the lead. ‘Sorry for your trouble,’ he said to the farmer. He exchanged a smile with him and with Isla. ‘Thanks, Calum. I never thought Pip would wander so far.’

Kerry came up behind Douglas. ‘You must come over soon so we can finish the path, Calum. You were such a help.’

She was looking rather strained, Isla thought. What was going on? She grabbed Calum’s hand before he could mention the swivel chair.

‘Glad Pip’s turned up,’ she said. ‘I’ll tell Bill.’

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