by Joe Friedman
Dunham watched the attack in silence. Then he called the dogs. Eventually, ears low and heads down, they returned. He patted them on their side.
‘That’s right,’ he said. ‘Show ’em who’s boss.’
Josh couldn’t believe what he’d seen. How could Dunham think it was all right to treat sheep that way? Didn’t he realise those animals were his uncle’s? In fact it didn’t matter who they belonged to. It was a serious crime to mistreat sheep.
Josh sat down heavily behind the gorse. His uncle’s ewe had been attacked for defending her own lamb. He couldn’t let this go on. But then he remembered what Dunham had done to the crofter who found him stealing wood . . . Josh shivered, in spite of the warmth of the day. If he interfered, he – and Reggae – could be in serious danger.
Josh wished suddenly he could just call his uncle on a mobile. But the mobile phone he’d been promised the previous Christmas had never appeared. It probably wouldn’t have worked out here anyway, he consoled himself. The reception would be terrible so far from a mast. There was nobody he could call for help. It was up to him.
The sound of frantic barking interrupted his thoughts. Dunham’s dogs were now chasing a young lamb up the hill. Josh spotted the green marking. Suddenly the lamb disappeared.
She’d been so frantic she hadn’t looked where she was going! She must have fallen into a hole. Dunham called the dogs and sent them on another outrun. He didn’t even bother to check if the lamb was all right.
Over the years, Josh had found several sheep who had broken their legs in such holes. What kind of an animal rescuer was he if he allowed this to go on?
He began to examine the area behind the gorse bush. If he was going to interfere, he didn’t want Dunham to think he’d been sitting here, watching him. He had to appear from somewhere else, as if he’d just come upon the scene. That would be the best way of protecting Reggae, and himself.
Josh could see a slight depression in the ground, not too far behind the gorse bush. It seemed to run along the ground up the side of the hill. If he could get to the depression, maybe he could crawl along and appear from someplace else?
Reggae made a soft noise in her throat. She was standing right in front of him, gazing at him with her head tilted. He knew that look. She was concerned about him. She licked his shirt. It was soaked! He hadn’t realised that he was sweating.
Then Josh understood. He was thinking of going up against the most feared man on the island. No wonder he was sweating!
‘I’m okay,’ Josh whispered, rubbing between Reggae’s eyes.
But Josh knew he wasn’t okay. He was about to take the biggest risk of his life. And Reggae somehow knew it.
She licked his face, her head still tilted.
‘All right,’ Josh said softly. ‘I am a bit frightened. Wish me luck.’
Josh took another glance through the gorse bush. Dunham and his dogs were on the other side of the valley now, facing the opposite way. This was his chance.
‘Down. Stay.’ Then he got down on his belly, and crawled towards the lower ground.
Chapter 15
Josh couldn’t crawl any further. The lower ground that kept him hidden from Dunham ended just a few yards ahead. He turned his head to try to work out the distance he’d come. Was it far enough away from the bush where Reggae was hiding?
He didn’t know. But he did know that if he continued to crawl, he’d be visible, and that would be a disaster. Would the story he’d worked out – that he was going to his Aunt Gertrude’s house – convince Dunham? It was true she spent a lot of time on the mainland, but he was pretty sure she was on the island now. Would Dunham know better? He was aware of a tremor in his legs. Did he really want to do this? As if to answer his question, a chorus of squeals and cries came from the sheep in the valley. Dunham’s dogs were at it again.
One . . . two . . . two and a half . . . Josh gathered himself and stood up. He started walking, as casually as he could, on an angle across the valley and away from Dunham. If his plan didn’t work . . . he didn’t want to think about that.
The next time he heard the dogs barking, he turned toward Dunham.
‘Hello, Mr Redlin,’ he shouted, as cheerily as he could manage. His voice cracked as he said Dunham’s name. Don’t show how scared you are, he told himself.
Surprise, anger, guilt and fear flitted over the man’s face in quick succession.
‘Getting your dogs up to speed for the Gathering?’ Josh called, as if he’d just arrived on the scene. He walked towards Dunham and his dogs, in what he hoped was a neighbourly way.
Dunham moved swiftly to intercept him, trying to prevent Josh from getting too close to the sheep. As Josh had planned, this took him – and his dogs – further away from where Reggae was hidden. Josh stopped and waited. His knees felt like they’d turned to Play Doh.
‘Lovely day for it,’ Josh said, when Dunham got close enough to talk in a conversational tone.
‘Yes,’ Dunham’s answer was curt. ‘What are you doing here?’ He wasn’t bothering to hide his hostility.
‘I’m on my way to my aunt’s.’
Dunham clearly didn’t believe him. He glanced at Josh’s trousers. Josh looked down at them. They were coated with dirt from crawling along the ground! He was horrified. ‘I tripped and slid down a slope,’ he improvised.
‘Front first?’ Dunham asked sceptically.
At first, Josh didn’t understand what he was getting at. Then he realised all the dirt was on the front side of his trousers. Because he’d been crawling.
Dunham’s dogs were growling, as if reflecting their master’s aggression. Josh had to change the subject. He knelt down and showed them the back of his hand. ‘Lovely dogs,’ he said, warmly.
One of the two dogs inched closer. Josh tickled him behind his ear.
‘No need for that,’ Dunham said.
Josh suddenly noticed the dog’s distinctive markings, a white patch around his left eye. ‘Is this Kearney’s dog?’
‘Kearney’s dog?’ Dunham said dismissively. ‘I wouldn’t let that lad near any of my working animals. He’s hopeless.’ He looked on, irritated, as his second dog came to Josh, wanting some affection. Josh stroked the side of his head.
Josh couldn’t help feeling pleased he’d discovered Kearney had made up the story about ‘his’ dog. But now he had to come up with a lie himself. One that would fool Dunham. He continued to stroke the dogs – touching an animal helped him think. Then he had it. ‘The thing is,’ he said to Dunham, as if confessing a crime. ‘I like to rescue small animals that are hurt. I must have got my trousers dirty when I was crawling towards the fox den I discovered yesterday.’
‘You like to rescue animals?’ Dunham said, with a crooked smile. He clearly thought Josh was an idiot. He pulled on the leads, forcing the dogs towards him.
Josh stood. He couldn’t leave yet. If he did Dunham would just go back to working his dogs. And hurting the sheep. ‘I’d better get going,’ Josh said.
Dunham relaxed and moved to shake his hand. But as he did so, Josh looked beyond him and pointed. ‘Oh, no, look!’ he said, in what he hoped was a surprised tone of voice. ‘That ewe belongs to my uncle.’
Dunham interrupted in a low, threatening voice. ‘You’ll not be accusing me of hurting another man’s sheep?’
So he had recognised Uncle Calum’s green brand! Josh didn’t respond directly. ‘They must have escaped through a hole in our fence.’ he said.
‘You didn’t answer my question.’
Josh was glad his loose trousers hid his shaking knees. He had to stand firm.
‘Have they been hurt?’ he asked, as if he didn’t know already.
‘If they have, it wasn’t by me.’
‘Then why would I accuse you of anything?’ Josh replied.
Dunham glowered. But Josh’s logic was hard to argue with. ‘Right,’ he said. ‘I’m done for the day. You’d better get those sheep back to your uncle.’ He started to drag his dogs away. They looked longi
ngly at Josh. He guessed they didn’t get much affection. Josh hesitated. Then he started to walk towards the ewe who was ‘mawing’ for her lamb.
Dunham wasn’t expecting that. ‘Where are you going?’ he demanded.
‘That ewe over there is distressed,’ Josh pointed.
Dunham’s face went dark, like clouds before a storm. Josh could see his struggle to control himself. The dark-eyed man knew what Josh would find.
‘Why don’t I come with you to check it out?’ he said, tightening the lead on his dogs.
They walked together awkwardly. As they got nearer to the hole in which the lamb had fallen, the dogs started to bark with excitement.
Dunham pulled sharply on their leads. ‘Shut up.’
‘That’s why she’s calling,’ Josh said, trying to keep his voice even. ‘Her lamb’s in the hole there.’
‘What a shame,’ Dunham said.
‘It mustn’t have been looking where it was going,’ Josh said carefully.
‘That’s right.’
Josh jumped down into the hole, and helped the frightened lamb to her feet. He felt up and down each leg carefully. Nothing seemed to be broken. Then he noticed the bite wounds near the lamb’s tail. He inspected the wound with his hand. He felt two sticky spots. The dog had drawn blood.
If he said anything about the wound, Dunham would deny any knowledge of it. And he couldn’t say he’d seen the dog jump on the lamb’s back because Dunham would know he’d been watching from behind the gorse bush. So Josh said nothing. He picked up the lamb and lifted her above his head, placing her on the higher ground. Dunham didn’t do anything to help. He had his hands full restraining his dogs. The ewe ran towards the lamb and immediately started licking it clean.
Josh pulled himself out of the hole.
Dunham looked relieved. ‘Happens to my lambs all the time. They haven’t got a brain in their heads. No harm done then,’ he said warningly.
Josh hesitated, then, thinking of Reggae, he nodded. ‘No harm done.’
Dunham stared at the dirt on Josh’s trousers, still suspicious. ‘I don’t like being played for a fool.’
Josh held up his empty hands, in a gesture of peace. ‘There’s nothing to worry about, Mr Redlin. I’ll call my uncle from my aunt’s house. He’ll come and get his sheep.’
‘You won’t say anything about me and my dogs . . .’
Josh shrugged. ‘What’s to say? You have a right to work them.’
‘That’s right. I have a right,’ Dunham agreed.
‘Sorry to disturb you. I’ll be off then,’ Josh said politely, heading off in the direction of his aunt’s.
Dunham dragged his dogs off in the opposite direction.
Josh carried on until he was sure that Dunham was well out of sight. He just hoped that Reggae had stayed where she was.
Then he turned and, following a circuitous route, returned to the valley. This gave him plenty of time to think. And none of what he thought made him feel any better.
Dunham hadn’t believed Josh’s story about the fox’s den. And he wouldn’t like the fact that Josh now suspected Dunham’s dogs had hurt his uncle’s sheep. He would want to find some way to make sure Josh kept his mouth shut.
When he reached the gorse bush Reggae was on her feet, breathing rapidly. She charged over to him and jumped up on his chest.
‘Good girl. It’s all over,’ Josh said, patting her reassuringly. ‘You’re safe. That was really bad luck. He’ll be keeping an eye on our valley from now on. We can’t train here any more. But he won’t be back today.’ He scanned the valley just to be sure. ‘At least we can round up Calum’s sheep, show them how well-trained dogs behave.’
Reggae sat, quivering with excitement. At last she was going to work!
Chapter 16
The following day, Josh walked to school with legs that were heavy and lifeless. Sleep had seemed within reach all night, only to retreat when he got near. He kept remembering Dunham’s words, ‘I don’t like being played for a fool.’ What might that mean?
Josh had spent part of the night trying to think of another secluded part of the commons where he and Reggae could work without having to worry about being discovered. The only place he could think of would take ages to get to. Reggae’s training time would be greatly reduced. And all this just at the time he really had to ramp up the preparation.
It was about three in the morning that he’d started to question himself. What had ever made him think that he could train a dog? In less than a year? The very idea was ridiculous. He’d totally messed it up. He’d started way too late. He’d done two long outruns with her, but the Gathering required tons of long outruns, all at a much greater distance than they’d ever attempted. The most gruelling test of man and dog . . . and he thought he could get a dog in shape for that?
As he trudged through the stand of trees, his eyes firmly focused on the ground, Josh felt a tap on his shoulder.
‘Are you still ignoring me?’
Yvonne.
‘No,’ he said in a flat voice. ‘I’m just tired. I didn’t sleep last night.’ Quickly, he filled her in on what had happened. ‘I should have kept my mouth shut.’
‘You couldn’t let that man’s dogs hurt your uncle’s sheep!’
‘Reggae’s my priority.’
‘You wouldn’t be you if you let someone hurt animals – your uncle’s, or anyone else’s,’ Yvonne declared firmly.
Josh felt comforted by this. Even if he wasn’t sure Yvonne was right.
But she had more to say. ‘I’ve got news. About the Gathering!’
‘Yes?’
‘I heard my dad on the phone,’ Yvonne told him. ‘He’s found a new parasite on the commons’ sheep. He’s decided to move the Gathering forward two weeks so they can treat it before it affects the health of the rest of the sheep on the island.’
‘They can’t do that!’ Josh protested. But before he could say another word, somebody barged between them.
‘What’s the Gathering to you?’ Kearney demanded. ‘You’re not thinking of working in the pens are you, City Boy?’
‘So what if I was?’
Kearney laughed loudly. ‘The island men would eat you for lunch.’
‘Kearney,’ Yvonne protested.
Josh could have sworn that for a millisecond Kearney looked hurt. But even if he was, his words were full of scorn.
‘You’re not really encouraging this loser to work in the Gathering?’ He barged Josh again.
Josh had had enough. He didn’t want Yvonne to think he couldn’t defend himself.
‘Talking about losers,’ he said. ‘How’s your dog?’
For a moment, Kearney looked thrown.
Josh went on. ‘Remember? You told me about him in the library – the one with a white patch around his left eye.’ Josh savoured the moment. For once, he wasn’t being bullied by Kearney. He had the power. Kearney seemed to shrink. ‘I saw him yesterday, “your” Border. Your father laughed when I asked him if she was yours . . . He said he’d never let you near any of his dogs.’
Kearney stared at him. Just for a second Josh imagined red rays coming out of the boy’s eyes and converging on his heart – stopping it dead. Then Kearney shot a quick glance at Yvonne. His shoulders slumped.
‘You feel pretty clever now, don’t you?’ he snarled. ‘It won’t last. I’ll make sure of that.’
With that, Kearney stalked off ahead of them.
‘Josh!’ Yvonne said, frowning.
‘He deserved it,’ Josh asserted.
‘Get off,’ Yvonne said sharply. ‘Would you kick a dog?’
‘That’s different!’
They walked together in silence. Josh’s face was burning. In successive days, he’d managed to make enemies of the two biggest bullies on the island, father and son.
‘I shouldn’t have done that.’ He admitted after a bit. ‘I hope he’s wrong about the island men.’
‘Of course he is,’ Yvonne said. ‘They’ll j
udge you by what you can do.’
‘With two weeks less to train Reggae now, that may not be much.’
Yvonne stopped and turned to him. ‘Be realistic, Josh. No one trains a dog in the time you’ve got. You just have to make sure she can do the basics. And when are you going to talk to my dad? You still need to get his permission to take part.’
‘He’s not “your dad” to me,’ Josh said quietly as they set off once again.
‘He isn’t an ogre.’
‘It’s not that!’ Josh said, anguished. ‘I’ve never been able to talk to him.’
They could see the school yard ahead. Josh felt exhausted, both from lack of sleep and the events of the previous day.
As they arrived at the school gate, Yvonne slapped her head. ‘I almost forgot! I’ve got something for you.’
She took off her school rucksack and shoved her hand deep into one of its pockets. She removed a small plastic object. ‘It’s an old MP3 player. Now that I’ve got a new phone, I don’t use it anymore.’
Josh felt confused. Surely Yvonne knew that listening to music wasn’t high on his list of things to do in the coming days. But he didn’t want to seem ungrateful. ‘Thank you,’ he said, not really meaning it.
‘Is that the best you can do?’
‘I don’t have time to listen to music,’ Josh said, defensively.
‘I know that,’ Yvonne exclaimed. ‘Have a little faith.’ She assumed a dramatic pose. ‘Ta da! There’s an audio recording of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on it. The Shakespeare play we’re studying in class?’
‘Really?’ Josh asked. ‘You mean I don’t have to read it?’
‘It’s not a replacement for reading,’ Yvonne said primly. ‘It’s an aid. Which you can listen to before our tutorial.’
‘You’re brilliant!’ Josh exclaimed.
Yvonne’s face glowed. ‘That’s more like it,’ she said quietly.
Chapter 17
Josh and Calum carried the roll of fencing between them. The dew in the pasture glistened in the early morning sun. His uncle liked to start errands early on a Saturday, which suited Josh, as it meant he was free in the afternoon.
