Dog Gone Read Free Page B

shouted Gran. She was determined not to let this one get away. ‘Ish, bring the bucket!’
    It was like a scene from one of those TV comedy shows. All it needed was the funny music. Lucky bounded up to Mr Ironclad, then darted off again before Mr Ironclad could catch him. Then Lucky ran off down the street with me, Molly, Gran and Mr Ironclad running behind.
    Fortunately, right at that moment, Mum rounded the corner in her car. She pulled over when she saw our procession charging towards her. She opened her door and yelled out to Lucky. He stopped for a minute, looked up at Mum, did a sort of fish-in-the-mouth half-bark, as if he were deciding what to do, and kept going.
    Gran, Molly and I started after him again, but we couldn’t keep up. He disappeared around the corner at the end of the street and was out of sight. By the time I reached the corner, he was nowhere to be seen.
    â€˜Where’d he go?’ Molly puffed, as she caught up to me.
    â€˜He’s disappeared. I don’t know where he is. Do you think he’s gone into someone’s house?’
    â€˜Could of,’ said Molly.
    Gran’s face was burning red by the time she joined us. ‘Has he still got the fish?’
    â€˜We don’t even know where he is,’ Molly and I chorused together.
    â€˜Let’s split up,’ I said. ‘Molly, you go up that side of the street and I’ll go up this one. He can’t be far.’
    â€˜What’s got into Lucky?’ Mum called out, through her open window. Mr Ironclad was now sitting next to her.
    â€˜The little devil’s taken off with the fish,’ wheezed Gran. ‘Come on, Rube, the three of us can look for him in the car. Quick – before he eats tonight’s dinner!’

Chapter 5

    We looked until lunchtime, when Gran and Mum insisted we have a break. Except it was a useless idea because I wasn’t hungry. Then we looked until it was dark.
    We went to the dog pound and the police station, where we left a description of Lucky. He was a brown and white kelpie cross with a white tip on his tail. He had one brown and one white ear. We explained where we’d last seen him.
    The people were very polite, saying they’d let us know if they heard anything or if anyone brought him in. But they wouldn’t send out a car to look for him. They said they had too many other important jobs to do.
    I felt empty inside when we went home and Gran drew the curtains for the night. To me, it seemed as if she was shutting Lucky out as well as the cold night air.
    It was no good. I couldn’t bear being inside with Lucky out there somewhere. I switched on the back porch light and went outside. Even though Gran and Mum tried to tell me Lucky would be back in his own good time, all I could do was kick my basketball against the fence to get my anger out. I wanted to kick the ball through the fence.
    I’d been outside for about half an hour when I heard footsteps next door.
    â€˜Ish? Is that you out there, lad?’ Mr Ironclad’s head appeared over the top of the side fence. ‘That ball won’t have any surface left on it by the time you’ve finished.’
    â€˜If the pound man and the police had sent out cars, we might’ve found Lucky by now.’
    â€˜Why don’t you come over? We can make some posters to put up in the morning, in case Lucky doesn’t come back tonight.’
    That was what I liked about Mr Ironclad. He was practical.
    Gran didn’t have a computer. She still lived in the Dark Ages. Fortunately, Mr Ironclad had a scanner and a good photo of Lucky. We’d nearly finished when Mum came to the door to tell me tea was ready.
    â€˜But, Mum, the posters haven’t finished printing. And besides, I’m not hungry.’
    â€˜Go on, Ish,’ said Mr Ironclad. ‘I’ll bring them over first thing in the mornin’. Go and have something to eat.’
    I didn’t feel like eating