Читать книгу Rascal: Lost in the Caves - Chris Cooper - Страница 7

CHAPTER 1

It all started with the big dog’s bone.

Rascal could smell it before he saw it, of course. The smell was coming from the other side of a line of trees. He froze for a second, sniffing the air. As usual, there were new smells all over this place, but that bone was the best of all. Rascal followed his nose, making his way through the cluster of trees. His master, Joel, was somewhere back along the path. He wouldn’t mind if Rascal did a little exploring for a minute or two!

Rascal cleared the trees and there it was on the grass – a nice big bone, the kind with the marrow in the middle. It was resting under one heavy paw of a sleeping dog. A big sleeping dog.

Rascal padded forwards. The big dog was snoozing outside a wooden holiday cabin. It was small, just like the one Rascal was staying in with Joel and his family. He could hear people’s voices from inside the cabin, but nobody came out.

Rascal wagged his tail in eager excitement. He forced himself not to run too fast. That would spoil the fun! When he was close enough, he dropped to his belly and slid forwards. The sleeping dog let out a tiny noise – half grunt, half bark – that seemed to die in the back of its throat. It was probably dreaming about chasing cats.

Rascal inched on. He carefully placed his jaws around the tip of the bone and pulled. As the bone slid out, the big dog’s paw flopped to the ground.

The dog’s eyes opened. It was wide awake in an instant. It fixed the smaller dog with furious brown eyes.

Rascal’s tail was wagging wildly. The bone dangled from his mouth. He was ready to play! A tug-of-war, a pretend fight . . . he was ready for anything. He let out a happy bark.

But the big dog’s reply was very different. A deep growl escaped from its jaws. The growl built and built until it exploded into a fearsome bark. Then the big dog sprang to its feet. It glared down at Rascal menancingly.

Rascal was confused. He wasn’t really stealing the bone! He was just having a bit of fun. But the big dog didn’t see it that way. Not one bit, because suddenly it was lunging forwards and there was only one thing Rascal could do. Get out of there fast!

He whirled around and charged back the way he had come. He wasn’t even aware that the bone was still clamped between his teeth. He didn’t look back, but the big dog’s angry pant told him all he needed to know. He was being chased.

Rascal burst through the trees, back to the footpath. His master was there now. Joel gave him a puzzled look.

‘Rascal? What’s wrong?’

Rascal raced up to Joel and huddled behind his legs.

‘What have you got there?’ asked the boy. He reached out a hand and took hold of the bone.

Rascal let out a nervous whimper. Joel’s brow was creased in confusion. And then the bigger dog crashed through the bushes and on to the path. When it saw that Rascal had stopped, it slowed. It let out a low snarl as it came closer. Its ears stood on end and its tail slashed the air angrily. It was ready for a fight.

Rascal tried to disappear behind his master’s legs. Joel stepped between the two dogs. His voice was calm as he spoke, but Rascal knew his master too well. He could hear the anxiety that bubbled under Joel’s voice like a hidden stream.

‘It’s OK, doggie,’ said Joel to the big dog. He lifted his arm slowly. ‘This is yours, isn’t it?’ He was holding the bone out.

The big dog was watching suspiciously, as if this was some new kind of sneaky trick.

Joel let the bone fall to the ground.

‘There you are,’ he said. ‘All yours.’

But the big dog didn’t seem satisfied. It glared at Rascal and took another step forwards. Its growl became louder. Rascal pressed himself even closer to his master.

Joel didn’t budge. ‘No!’ he said firmly to the big dog. He didn’t shout, but his voice was strong.

The dog paused, uncertain.

‘Take the bone and go home,’ Joel continued. He flicked the bone closer to the dog with one foot. ‘Go on, now.’

The big dog took one last look at Rascal and Joel. Then it swept up the bone, turned and ran back the way it had come. The boy and his dog watched it go.

Joel began to wipe the flat of his hand against his jeans. ‘Yuck! Dog spit!’ He turned to Rascal. ‘What were you up to anyway?’ he asked.

Joel attempted to give Rascal a stern look, but the dog knew better than that. He jumped up and tried to give the boy’s face a good licking.

‘Get off, you crazy dog!’ said Joel, but he was laughing and that just made Rascal try even harder.

Joel gave the dog a friendly shove, but Rascal was quickly up on his hind legs again. He was just too happy! He loved this place they were staying in.

Trees everywhere! No trim front lawns with flower beds that you weren’t allowed to dig up! No having to wear a lead and no stopping at the kerb to look out for cars on the way to the park! Here he was free just to run and explore wherever he liked. It was great!

But more than all of that, he loved being here with Joel. That was the really good thing – spending all day, every day, with his master and best friend in the whole world. Every morning Joel was there and ready to play with him. And Joel was always ready to stand up for him, just as he had done with the big dog and its precious bone.

‘Right!’ Joel grinned. ‘No more Mr Nice Guy!’

Rascal recognised those words. They were the signal for his favourite game – chase! He charged away, barking at the top of his voice. He didn’t run too fast though, being careful not to get too far ahead of the boy who was pelting after him.

They had reached the bottom of the hill now. Rascal veered left off the path and doubled back through a clump of bushes. He could hear Joel behind him, the boy was right there, and then –

Rascal stopped.

Right ahead of him, sunk into the side of the hill, was a cave.