Not a bad evening’s work, huh?
I made my way back to the porch, found a comfortable spot near the woodpile, and caught a few winks of sleep before daylight, when Guess-Who finally dragged himself out of bed. He wandered out on the porch and said, “What the heck’s this piece of string doing on my toe? Oh yeah, my burglar alarm. I guess it broke.” He looked down at me and yawned. “Did I miss something, pooch?”
Did he miss . . . oh brother! What can you say?
But it turned out all right. Slim hiked down to the weaning trap and spent several minutes studying tracks and signs. He found enough dog and coyote tracks to figure out that I had saved the ranch from a huge catastrophe, for which I received the ranch’s Highest Award for Bravery—two pats on the head, one “Good Dog,” and half a piece of burnt toast.
But you know what else he did? He called up Miss Viola and told her the story and then . . . you won’t believe this part . . . he invited her to go dancing that very night! See, Frankie McWhorter was playing his fiddle in Higgins that night, at a big country barn dance.
But wait, before you faint, let me finish. See, Slim had forgotten about his swollen ankle and that he couldn’t get his boot on, and so he had to call her back and cancel the date.
But at least he’d thought about it. For Slim, that’s real progress.
Case closed.
It was pretty slick, the way I disposed of those stray dogs, don’t you think? You bet it was. Some doubters might say it was just dumb luck, but don’t you believe it. The whole thing was part of a very clever plan, no kidding.
See you around.
Further Reading
Have you read all of Hank’s adventures?
1 The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
2 The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
3 It’s a Dog’s Life
4 Murder in the Middle Pasture
5 Faded Love
6 Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
7 The Curse of the Incredible Priceless Corncob
8 The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse
9 The Case of the Halloween Ghost
10 Every Dog Has His Day
11 Lost in the Dark Unchanted Forest
12 The Case of the Fiddle-Playing Fox
13 The Wounded Buzzard on Christmas Eve
14 Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business
15 The Case of the Missing Cat
16 Lost in the Blinded Blizzard
17 The Case of the Car-Barkaholic Dog
18 The Case of the Hooking Bull
19 The Case of the Midnight Rustler
20 The Phantom in the Mirror
21 The Case of the Vampire Cat
22 The Case of the Double Bumblebee Sting
23 Moonlight Madness
24 The Case of the Black-Hooded Hangmans
25 The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado
26 The Case of the Kidnapped Collie
27 The Case of the Night-Stalking Bone Monster
28 The Mopwater Files
29 The Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper
30 The Case of the Haystack Kitties
31 The Case of the Vanishing Fishhook
32 The Garbage Monster from Outer Space
33 The Case of the Measled Cowboy
34 Slim’s Good-bye
35 The Case of the Saddle House Robbery
36 The Case of the Raging Rottweiler
37 The Case of the Deadly Ha-Ha Game
38 The Fling
39 The Secret Laundry Monster Files
40 The Case of the Missing Bird Dog
41 The Case of the Shipwrecked Tree
42 The Case of the Burrowing Robot
43 The Case of the Twisted Kitty
44 The Dungeon of Doom
45 The Case of the Falling Sky
46 The Case of the Tricky Trap
47 The Case of the Tender Cheeping Chickies
48 The Case of the Monkey Burglar
49 The Case of the Booby-Trapped Pickup
50 The Case of the Most Ancient Bone
51 The Case of the Blazing Sky
52 The Quest for the Great White Quail
53 Drover’s Secret Life
54 The Case of the Dinosaur Birds
55 The Case of the Secret Weapon
56 The Case of the Coyote Invasion
57 The Disappearance of Drover
58 The Case of the Mysterious Voice
59 The Case of the Perfect Dog
60 The Big Question
61 The Case of the Prowling Bear
About the Author and Illustrator
John R. Erickson, a former cowboy, has written numerous books for both children and adults and is best known for his acclaimed Hank the Cowdog series. He lives and works on his ranch in Perryton, Texas, with his family.
Gerald L. Holmes has illustrated numerous cartoons and textbooks in addition to the Hank the Cowdog series. He lives in Perryton, Texas.
The Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper Page 8
