Book Read Free

The Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper

Page 8

by John R. Erickson


  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.

 

 

 


‹ Prev