The Good Dog by Avi Read Free Book Online Page B

pricked up with interest. “Hey, do you want some company?” He stole an anxious look at his own house. “It’s early,” Nemo whined. “My humans sleep late. I bet I could get away.”
    â€œThanks, no.”
    â€œHey,” Nemo yapped, “I heard some gossip that there’s a wolf up there. Is that what you’re doing, looking for him?”
    â€œI don’t think so.” McKinley set off without glancing back.
    Nemo scampered after him. “Hey, McKinley, I think I know where an old fox—”
    McKinley stopped abruptly, turned, planted his feet, wrinkled his nose, and growled.
    Nemo skidded to a halt. He dropped his tail between his legs and sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be pushy. . . .” He slunk away.
    McKinley trotted on, mouth open, ears forward. But he was worried. If a dog like Nemo knew about Lupin, the rest of the pack dogs must know. Had they heard about the wolf’s challenge? No, he thought, only Aspen knows.
    As McKinley came off the ridge, the fog thinned enough so that he could see down the hill to the pups’ gathering place. They were arriving in bunches by car and bicycle. Dogs played around them. A lot of the young humans were running about, tossing pointed balls.
    McKinley hated those balls. No matter how much he stretched his mouth, they were impossible to grip. A baseball —one of Jack’s favorite words—was so much more fun to play with.
    â€œKids!” a voice called from below. “Almost time for school. Start putting games away.”
    Just then McKinley saw Jack—on his bicycle—race into the car place. Within seconds the pupwas surrounded by others his size. McKinley wondered if he was telling them about the wolf.
    The next moment he saw Jack chasing after another pup with a pointed ball, leap at him, and knock him down. He’s good at that, McKinley thought.
    As he kept on, a couple of dogs looked up at him. One—his name was Montana—barked a greeting. Then another—Lily—spied him, too, and began to yap. “Hey, McKinley, is it true about the wolf?”
    McKinley could not stop. Duchess needed him.
    He soon reached the small house in Strawberry Park. It appeared as abandoned as ever.
    McKinley checked the aspen tree in front of the house to see if there were any new messages. All he found was Duchess’s scent. He left a mark just in case anyone was looking for him.
    Nervous now, McKinley gazed at the woods beyond the field. With the white fog seeping through them, the pines and aspen groves seemed to be drifting. He scratched himself behind one ear. He was stalling and he knew it.
    McKinley lifted his head and sniffed the air. A slight breeze rippled in from the north but bore no hint of either Duchess or Lupin. Perhaps they were gone. That would be good. He could easily take care of Redburn.
    He sniffed again. The weather was changing.
    McKinley was still pondering what to do when he caught the sound of human voices. People were coming down Fox Haven Way. Though he could neither smell nor see who it was, every instinct told him it was Sullivan and Redburn. And Pycraft. There was little choice: He had to act as if Duchess was still up in the boulders.
    Repressing a bark, he bounded across the way that ran before the little house, sprinted over the field, and plunged up into the woods. As soon as he was under cover he halted and looked back. Sure enough, Redburn, his nose down, tail wagging, was sniffing his way toward the house. Sullivan was right there with him. Walking a short way behind was Pycraft, his rifle in his hands. It was as long and thin as he was short and fat.
    Seeing the gun, McKinley wrinkled his nose and growled with anger. Were they going to shoot Duchess?
    As the humans talked, McKinley kept his eyes on Redburn. It took only seconds before the setter discovered McKinley’s fresh mark.
    Redburn looked across the field to the woods and