“Get away from me, you—”
“It must be an adrenalin rush. That happens to me all the time during bird season, the excitement, I guess. Just lie down and be still. There! Oh, good, great, here comes Beulah. Beulah? Bunny Cakes? I’ve come back!”
They rushed into each other’s embrace. I thought seriously about throwing up to celebrate the occasion, but didn’t want to waste a good meal. They came skipping over to me, all smiles and sparkling eyes.
Beulah laid a paw on my shoulder. “Oh, Hank, you’re so brave and heroic! Thank you for everything you’ve done. I only wish there was some way we could show our appreciation.”
Plato stepped forward. “Bunny Cakes, I said the very same thing to old Hank, and by golly, he said there might be one thing we could do, right Hank?”
Beulah looked at me. “Really? What is it, Hank? Just tell us.”
I ran my gaze over their faces—their broad smiles, their shimmering eyes. They were both so happy. And so dumb. I heaved a sigh and cranked myself up off the ground.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s all in a day’s work, just part of the job.”
Plato gasped. “Did you hear that, Sweetsy? What a guy! Hank, we’re just speechless.”
“Right.”
“I’m at a total loss for words. All I can say is,” he whopped me on the back, “one of these days, by golly, you’ll be rewarded for all the wonderful things you do.”
I stared at him and words began marching across the parade ground of my mind. “Yes, and when I get my reward, you’ll have a black eye and one less girlfriend.”
Just then, Slim and Billy came running out of the yard. For my heroic rescue of the bird dog, I received three pats on the head and two “Good dogs.” Moments later, we were in Slim’s pickup, heading back to the ranch. Plato and Beulah waved good-bye, and as they disappeared from view, I saw Plato place his paw on her shoulder.
I turned to Drover. “What are you staring at?”
He sniffed his nose and a tear slid down his cheek. “Well, I don’t know. Everything turned out so perfect. Mother Pig saved her piggies and you saved Plato, and now Plato and Beulah are back together and you’re a hero and . . . and it’s such a wonderful ending, I think I’ll just . . . cry!”
I gave him a minute to boo-hoo and blubber. “Drover, allow me to raise one small question.”
He sniffed his nose and got control of himself. “Okay, sure. I just hope I know the answer.”
“If I’m such a hero and if this is such a happy ending, how come Plato’s back there with Beulah, and I’m riding in a pickup with you?”
He blinked his eyes. “Well, I don’t know. I never thought about that.”
“Well, think about it. When you come up with the answer, wake me up. I’m going to sleep. Good night, Drover.”
“Good night, Hank . . . only it’s still daylight.”
“Hush!”
And so it was that I ended another grueling day of fighting monsters, protecting my ranch from evil forces, and rescuing homeless bird dogs, and drifted off into a fragrant dream about—mercy! Was it . . . could it be . . . ? Yes, there stood Missy Coyote in the distance, gazing at me with adoring eyes and calling my . . . snork murk snicklefritz honking porkchops . . . zzzzzzz.
Cose clazed.
Case closed, let us say.
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
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 Missing Birddog Page 8
