by Sam Hay
Joe was glad to go first so he could get away before Dexter started bothering him again! But the dog was too fast. He arrived just as Joe was stepping into the harness.
“Are you ready to help me now?” barked the dog, leaping around at Joe’s feet and letting off an enormous fart.
Joe ignored Dexter, but it was impossible to ignore the stink that surrounded him.
“Urghhh!” groaned Spiker, holding his nose. “What’s that smell?” Then he snickered meanly. “Did you poop your pants, Joe? Is the climb too scary for you?”
“Shut up, Spiker!” said Joe, but some of the other kids were already giggling.
“Settle down,” said Mr. Hill sternly. “Come on, Joe! Get going!”
Joe found the handholds easily and in just a few minutes, he was halfway up. Another five minutes and he was pulling himself over the top.
Lizzy beamed at him. “You’re a natural!”
But before Joe could say anything, he heard a howl from the bottom of the wall. He could see Dexter scrambling around, as though he wanted to climb up after Joe, before finally giving up and bounding away.
Ben and Matt were next up the wall, followed by Abby and then Leonie, who was making such a fuss that James had to climb next to her.
Spiker followed soon after, and once a few more joined them, Lizzy and Finn led them onto the treetops challenge.
“The wire walk is a hundred feet long and zigzags through the treetops,” said Finn. “There are ropes to hold on to and a rope to walk along. Ready?”
Joe nodded, but Ben didn’t look excited.
“It’s perfectly safe,” said Finn. “The harness will stop you from falling. I’ll go first.”
“Don’t look down!” Ben said, as he, Matt, and Joe began inching their way along.
Joe didn’t mind heights. He followed the wire, weaving in and out of the tall pines. But then he spotted Dexter again, racing backward and forward down on the ground and barking up at him. “Help me, Joe! Help me!”
Joe tried to ignore him.
“Ready for the zip line?” Finn called, as Joe reached the final platform. “You go first, and Chrissie will be waiting for you at the end, okay?”
Joe nodded, giving his harness a final tug to make sure it was secure.
“Go, Joe!” Matt yelled, as Joe took off, whizzing down the wire.
“Wow!” Joe breathed. The trees whistled past and the ground was a blur—he felt like a character in an action movie … until his harness jerked him to a stop at the bottom and he wiggled around in midair, like a fish on a hook.
Chrissie caught him and helped him down. Joe’s legs felt like Jell-O, but he was buzzing from the ride. Then he felt his excitement fall apart like a soggy tissue. Dexter was there waiting for him!
The dog launched himself at Joe, crashing into him and smothering his face in drool.
“Hey! Cut it out!” Joe grimaced.
Dexter’s breath smelled like a sweaty armpit.
“But you don’t understand!” growled the dog. “I can’t pass over until you help me. I’m sick of waiting!”
Joe sighed. It had always been his dream to have a dog, and he would have loved one like Dexter—if he had been alive. “Okay, okay,” Joe said. “Tell me what you need me to do.”
“Really? You’ll help me now?”
“I’ll try. But hurry!” Joe glanced up at the top of the zip line. “As soon as the others get down, I won’t be able to talk to you.” He could see Leonie having her harness attached.
Dexter glanced up, too. “Oh dear, Moanie Leonie is coming.”
Joe grinned. Moanie Leonie must be another one of Mr. Hill’s nicknames—it suited her. “Come on then, tell me what happened.”
But now that he had Joe’s attention, Dexter didn’t seem to know what to do with himself. He scratched his ears and chewed his tail, then jumped up and down and started pacing around. Finally it came tumbling out …
“You see, Brian blames himself for the accident,” Dexter explained.
“Why?”
“Because he couldn’t train me. He tried his best. But I’m not that sort of a dog. I like to be free. Run wild …”
Dexter suddenly turned his head, and began staring at something in the trees. His ears pricked up. His tail began to wag, and then …
“Rabbit!” he yelped. He was about to run after it when Joe made a dive for him.
“Hang on!” said Joe. “You haven’t told me what you want me to do yet.”
“What?” Dexter was straining to get free, his boggle eyes darting left and right, searching for the rabbit he’d spied.
“What do you need me for?” said Joe.
“To make Brian see that it wasn’t his fault I died.”
“What? Mr. Hill isn’t going to listen to me!”
But Dexter wasn’t interested anymore. The smell of the rabbit was too much. He jerked free of Joe’s arms and shot off into the trees like a bullet.
“I hate egg salad!” groaned Ava, as she unwrapped her roll. “I wanted ham!”
“And I hate cheese!” added Bethany, who was staring at her lunch as though it were a specimen in a jar.
They were all back at the camp now, eating lunch around the log circle before the treasure hunt. Joe could see Dexter running around the other side of the camp, chewing twigs and sniffing for squirrels.
As he got up to put his garbage in the trash can, Joe could hear Mr. Hill chatting to Lizzy. “My dog, Dexter, would have loved it here. There’s so much space to run around …” He sighed. “Mind you, I’d have spent all day trying to get him back on his leash afterward.”
“Mr. Hill! I lost my water bottle … ,” wailed Leonie. “I think I left it in the woods!”
Moanie Leonie, Joe thought. Maybe Mr. Hill was funnier than he looked!
Just then Dexter came hurtling out of the trees and shook himself—splattering Joe with mud. “So when are you going to speak to Brian?”
Joe made a face. “I don’t know. I haven’t worked out what to say to him!”
The dog sat down at Joe’s feet and gave a long melancholy howl.
“Don’t start that again!” muttered Joe.
But Dexter continued howling. Joe stuck his fingers in his ears and looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching him.
“Look,” he said. “I’d really like to help you. But I can’t just go and tell Mr. Hill it’s not his fault you died! How do you think I’m going to explain that I know about you falling off that cliff?”
Dexter kept howling. Louder and louder …
“If only there was some way of showing Mr. Hill that it’s not his fault. If he could see that not all dogs are like you, Dexter—that some dogs do respond to commands and do what they’re told, instead of just taking off whenever they want,” Joe said.
Dexter stopped howling and cocked his head to one side.
“Then maybe he’d realize that it wasn’t his fault you got yourself killed. After all, he tried everything to keep you safe, didn’t he?”
Just then Lizzy called, “Tunnel treasure-hunt time! Follow me!”
Joe stood up. “Look, I’ve got to go. But I’ll try to think of something, okay?”
But Dexter wasn’t listening anymore. He’d spotted something more interesting in the trees. He took off like a rocket.
“Everyone, gather around,” called Lizzy.
They were on the other side of the camp now, near the start of the tunnel trail. Joe peered over at the tunnels. There were five of them, dug into the side of a grassy bank.
“It’s a bit like an underground maze,” said Lizzy. “You’ll need to crawl down each tunnel and look for the nine letters of the alphabet that we’ve hidden inside. Write the letters on your sheets, and when you’ve found all of them, rearrange the letters into a word.”
“I love anagrams!” breathed Abby.
Joe nudged Matt. “What’s an anagram?”
“Sounds like some sort of weird shape we would lea
rn about in math.” He grimaced. Math was not his best class.
“Listen now!” said Lizzy. “When you’ve solved the word puzzle, use the map we’ve given you to come and find me in the forest. The first pair to reach me with the correct word is the winner.”
“Want to team up?” asked Matt.
Joe nodded. “Definitely!”
Everyone else was getting into pairs, too. Ben and Thomas. The twins, Ava and Molly. And Spiker and Harry, who weren’t normally allowed to work together because they messed around too much. Miss Bruce didn’t seem to have noticed today.
“Not sure I’ll fit in there,” said Nick the Stick, bending down to peer into one of the tunnels.
“Well, I can, so you can, too!” grinned Finn, puffing out his chest so he looked even more enormous. “But if you get stuck, I’ll haul you out, okay?”
“Don’t forget your boots,” said Lizzy. “It’s damp and muddy in there. And you’ll need helmets, too!”
“What if we bump into each other?” said Bethany.
“Only two pairs are allowed in each tunnel at a time,” said Finn. “And all the tunnels lead through to the other side of the bank, so you don’t need to come back out the way you go in.”
“Everyone ready?” called Lizzy. “Then get going!”
Joe and Matt raced for the largest tunnel, beating Spiker and Harry, but only just.
“Watch it!” growled Matt, as Spiker and Harry tried to push them out of the way.
“Watch it yourself,” Harry said with a smirk.
“Give them a minute to get inside,” said Finn, holding Spiker and Harry back. “Then you can follow. But keep your distance.”
The tunnel was only a few feet wide, and it had a damp, musty smell. They crawled through, ducking their heads under the low ceiling of the tunnel. After they’d gone a few yards inside, the only light was from their flashlights and it was hard to tell where they were going or where they’d been. There were a few dead ends and false turns.
“Hey!” shouted Matt, as Spiker and Harry barged past them. But Joe didn’t really care. He was thinking about Uncle Charlie’s adventure in an underground pyramid. Joe could imagine how Uncle Charlie must have felt, inching his way through the gloom. He shone his flashlight ahead, half expecting to find a pile of bones!
“Got it!” Joe shouted, as he spotted the first letter, fixed to the side of the tunnel. It was a W!
More letters followed soon after …
“Come on,” Joe called to Matt, as he crawled into another tunnel. “We’ve only got two more to find! Wait—what was that scratching noise?”
Matt grinned. “Rats?”
“Hope not!” Joe grimaced.
But just then something big and wet loomed out of the darkness. And it definitely wasn’t a rat.
“Urgghh,” Joe groaned, as Dexter licked his face, smothering him in sticky ghoul drool. “Cut it out! I’m not an ice-cream cone!”
“I’ve found something,” Dexter panted. “In the forest! Come and see!”
“What was that about ice cream?” called Matt, who was a bit farther back.
“Um, nothing!” Joe turned to Dexter and silently mouthed, WAIT OUTSIDE!
Dexter shot back down the tunnel, his muddy tail splattering Joe in the face.
Five minutes later, the boys scrambled out the exit, blinking in the daylight.
“Come on!” shouted Matt, “We can rearrange the letters on the way!” He broke into a run, heading for the trees.
Joe looked around for Dexter, just as the dog crashed out of the bushes and hurtled past them. Luckily he seemed to be heading the same way.
“Hey, Joe!” barked Dexter. “Guess what I found in the woods!”
Joe shrugged. It was impossible to talk with Matt just a few feet in front of them.
“A well-behaved dog!” woofed Dexter. “Just like you said—one that does what it’s told! You’ve got to see it. This way!” He veered left.
Joe slowed to a jog, then to a walk. Dexter wanted them to go a different way to where the map was taking them.
“Come on! It’s not far!” Dexter barked impatiently.
Joe hesitated for a second, then stuffed the map in his pocket. “Um, I think it’s down here, Matt,” he said, heading left.
“Are you sure?”
“Definitely! Come on …”
It was a narrow path, with several sawed-off tree stumps along the way. The ground was much more overgrown than the trail they’d been following before.
After a few minutes, Matt stopped. “Are you sure this is the right way? I haven’t seen anyone else. Maybe we should check the map again …”
As Joe handed the map over to Matt he could hear the sound of barking close by. And this time it wasn’t Dexter.
Joe peered through the trees. A little farther down the path he could see a small cottage. In the yard a couple kids of were playing with some puppies. Dexter was with them, leaping around and chasing his tail!
“We’ve definitely taken the wrong path,” said Matt, still looking at the map. “We should have turned right back there …”
But Joe wasn’t listening. He took a few steps closer to the yard. As he did, a twig snapped under his foot. The children looked over. There was a boy about Joe’s age and a younger girl who looked about six.
“Are you lost?” shouted the boy. He had a freckly face with reddish hair. As he spoke, the puppies started barking loudly. “Quiet!” he said firmly and they settled down right away.
“See!” barked Dexter. “They do as they’re told. We need to show Brian!”
“Are you looking for the campsite?” the boy asked.
Before Joe could reply, Matt spoke up. “No, we’re not, thanks!” He turned to Joe. “Come on, we need to get back now.”
“Are they all your dogs?” Joe asked.
“Yeah, they’re still puppies, really. Come and take a look, if you want.”
Matt rolled his eyes. “What about the treasure hunt?”
Joe ignored him and went into the yard. Matt would hate him for spoiling the treasure hunt, but he’d have to worry about that later.
Strangely, the puppies didn’t come running to him, even though their bottoms were wriggling, and their tails were wagging. They were adorable dogs with droopy ears and thick coats.
“You’ve got them really well trained,” Joe said.
The boy nodded. “They’re an easy breed to train. My dad works in the forest, and there’s so much to distract the dogs that they have to be easy to control!” Then he nodded to the pups and they zoomed over to Joe, their short stumpy tails wagging like crazy.
Dexter began barking excitedly. “Take one back to Brian!”
Joe made a face. It wasn’t as if he could just put one in his pocket! “Are they spaniels?”
The boy nodded. “Yeah … I wish we could keep them all. But Dad says we need to find homes for them soon.”
Dexter started howling with excitement. “Let’s get one for Brian!”
Joe paused for a moment. If Mr. Hill got a new dog—a better-behaved one—then all his guilt about Dexter might disappear. But Joe had no idea how to persuade Mr. Hill that he wanted another dog.
“My name’s Tom,” said the boy. “And this is my sister, Rachel. Are you camping at Wolf’s Leap?”
“Yeah, we’re staying until tomorrow. I’m Joe—and this is Matt.”
Matt smiled briefly, then glanced at his watch. “Come on, Joe. We’re running out of time.”
“We’ve got to go,” said Joe reluctantly. “Thanks for letting us see the puppies.”
As he and Matt walked down the forest path, Joe was thinking hard. Somehow they had to get Mr. Hill to meet the pups. But how?
“What’s the plan?” barked Dexter, chasing around Joe’s feet. “What are you going to do?”
Joe shrugged. It was impossible to talk with Matt close by.
Just then they heard Lizzy’s whistle.
Matt groaned. “Someone
finished the treasure hunt.”
“And I bet I know who,” muttered Joe.
A few moments later Joe’s fears were realized. He nudged Matt. “Look over there.”
Through the trees, they could see Leonie and Abby walking proudly back to camp with Lizzy in between them.
“What kept you, Joe?” called Leonie as she passed by.
Joe made a face.
“If only we hadn’t taken that wrong turn,” Matt said with a sigh. “Then we’d have beaten them easily.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” muttered Joe, scuffing the ground with his shoe. “I’m not sure how I managed get so confused with the map.”
“What were you thinking?” Matt suddenly sounded exasperated. “It was so easy to follow …”
“Um … Well, I just got distracted …”
“Yeah,” said Matt gloomily. “You seem to get distracted a lot lately. And it’s usually when there are animals around! If you hadn’t stopped to pet those dogs, we might still have won.”
Joe’s face reddened. Matt was right. The undead pets were taking over his life!
Just then Dexter crashed out of the bushes. “Have you got a plan yet?”
Joe glared at him. “No!” he muttered, hoping Matt wouldn’t hear. Then he mouthed: GO AWAY! He turned back to Matt, but his friend was already stalking off back to camp, his head down, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He looked miserable. Joe sighed. He hated arguing with Matt. He raced after him, but as they reached camp, Leonie and Abby were already collecting their prizes—a pair of cool-looking head headlamps.
“Well done, girls.” Lizzy beamed. “You weren’t the first ones to find me, but you were the only ones who’d worked out the word puzzle. And just in case anyone is still struggling, the word was Wolfhound!”
Matt slapped his forehead. “Of course!”
But Joe wasn’t listening. He’d heard a howl …
Awwwhoooooooooo…
Dexter was at it again—trying to get his attention. Joe could see him in the distance, skulking around the trees just beyond the camp, howling his head off! Joe sighed. Somehow he had to get Mr. Hill to see those dogs. But he had no idea how to do it.
“Does everyone have their flashlights?”
It was dark now and the class was getting ready for the night walk. Dexter was sitting next to Joe, fidgeting and scratching. Every so often, he’d stop to ask if Joe had thought of a plan yet.