Treasure Hunt

by Paul DuBois Jacobs

  “What are you looking at?” Whiskers asked nervously.

  “It’s hard to see, with the wind blowing leaves this way and that,” Leopold said. “But I think there’s a person coming up the driveway, walking strangely.”

  “Strangely?” asked Coco. “You mean like this?” Coco did a silly walk in front of the sofa.

  “No,” said Leopold. “The figure seems to be limping.”

  “Maybe it’s a pirate with a peg leg,” said Coco.

  “There’s only one pirate?” asked Shadow. “I can handle one pirate with my paws tied behind my back.”

  “Wait,” said Leopold. “There are now two figures.” He looked a little shaken.

  “Two pirates?” shrieked Whiskers.

  “The second one is carrying something heavy,” added Leopold.

  “I bet it’s the treasure,” said Shadow.

  “Or a giant piece of cheese,” said Coco.

  “Hold on,” said Leopold. He strained to see out the door. He held up a wing to protect his eyes from the wind. “I think I see a third figure.”

  “Three pirates?” squealed Whiskers. “Abandon ship!”

  “Now, now,” I said. “Let’s steady ourselves.”

  “Or retreat,” said Leopold. “The third one appears to have a sword.”

  CHAPTER

  10

  Whiskers let out an ear-piercing yowl.

  Shadow jumped behind the sofa.

  Leopold retreated to his perch, and then raised one wing like a shield.

  Coco pretended to be asleep.

  I stood my ground, but I admit I closed my eyes. What would happen now? Would we have to walk the plank? Would we be buried with the treasure? Was this the end of Animal Inn?

  The wind rushed in. I heard footsteps approaching. I slowly opened one eye. And there . . . in the doorway . . . stood . . .

  Jake, Dad, and Ethan.

  “Hi, guys,” said Ethan.

  “Why is the door open?” asked Dad.

  Jake was standing on one leg, leaning on a walking stick. Dad carried a large duffel bag. Ethan held a tent pole like a sword.

  Mom and Cassie rushed downstairs.

  “What happened?” Mom asked, coming over to help them.

  “Wind advisory,” said Dad, shutting the door behind him. “We couldn’t get the tent to stay up. Then Jake chased some napkins that went flying . . .”

  “Tripped and twisted my ankle,” Jake said with grimace.

  “It was so windy,” said Ethan, holding up the pole in his hand, “even the poles were blowing away.”

  “We could have used Coco and Dash,” Dad said. “Lots of fetching to do. I think next time we’ll find a campground that allows dogs.”

  Cassie smiled.

  “Come on,” said Mom. “We were just about to have lunch. I can whip up a few more grilled cheese sandwiches.”

  Coco stood up, bright-eyed and alert.

  “Sounds great,” said Dad. “We can unload the car later. I had to park down by the road. There’s a fallen limb across the driveway.”

  “And let’s get some ice on that ankle,” Mom said to Jake.

  They all went upstairs, Jake leaning on Dad and taking one stair at a time. Coco followed.

  “I have to admit, I feel a little foolish,” I said.

  “Me too,” said Leopold. “To think it was Dad and the boys the whole time.”

  “And not a band of pirates,” said Whiskers. He laughed. “Leopold, you might want to get your eyes checked. Really? A peg leg and a sword?”

  “Shhh!” whispered Shadow, popping out from behind the sofa. “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” asked Leopold.

  Scritch-scritch!

  Scritch-scritch!

  “That!” said Shadow. She looked worried. And Shadow rarely looks worried.

  “I think it’s just the wind,” I said.

  “Now who’s the scaredy-cat, Shadow?” said Whiskers with a chuckle. He jumped down from the sofa and strutted over to the front door. “A few blustery pirates are no match for me.”

  Scritch-scritch!

  Creeeeak!

  The door opened a few inches. Leopold, Shadow, and I took a step back.

  Whiskers bravely stood his ground. “It’s just the wind,” he said.

  Whoooosh!

  A sudden gust blew the door wide open. And there . . . in the doorway . . . we saw . . .

  A tall figure wearing an eye-patch, with a parrot on its shoulder.

  “Over here, Blackbeard!” the figure called. “This is the place!”

  “YOWWWL!” Whiskers shrieked in fright. “YOWWWL!”

  The pirate flinched. The parrot on its shoulder squawked in alarm, and then flew off into the gusty afternoon.

  “Treasure!” shouted the figure, running after the bird. “Treasure! Come back!”

  CHAPTER

  11

  “PI-RATE!” yelled Fuzzy, popping out from the heating vent. He was completely out of breath.

  “We spotted it from the crow’s nest,” added Furry, popping out next.

  “You’re a little late,” said Shadow. “The pirate already abandoned ship. It took off after a parrot.”

  “I believe it was an African gray parrot,” said Leopold.

  “Whiskers scared it,” said Shadow.

  “I scared it?” Whiskers exclaimed. “It scared me.”

  “But where’s the dog?” asked Fuzzy.

  “What dog?” I asked.

  “We definitely saw a pirate, a parrot, and a dog,” added Furry.

  Suddenly the pirate reappeared in the doorway. Whiskers’s fur stood up on end. Fuzzy and Furry jumped back into the heating vent.

  “Hello?” the pirate called into the Welcome Area. “Is anybody here? I need help!”

  It didn’t sound much like a pirate. It sounded more like a worried pet owner.

  Mom and Dad rushed downstairs. Cassie and Coco followed.

  “Can we help you?” asked Mom.

  “I’m Annie,” the woman said. “We spoke earlier. But I just lost Treasure!”

  “Oh no,” gasped Mom. She turned to Dad. “This is Annie Drake. Her pets are staying with us while she has eye surgery.”

  Cassie looked around. “But where’s Blackbeard?” she asked.

  “He’s already looking for Treasure,” said Annie. “Treasure was in her harness, but then the wind blew and a cat yowled. Somehow she broke free and flew away.”

  “We should spread out and circle the area,” said Dad.

  “Cassie, you stay here,” said Mom. “Tell the boys we’ll be back soon.”

  Cassie headed upstairs. Mom, Dad, and Annie rushed outside. They were in such a hurry that no one checked to make sure the door was completely shut.

  “Whew,” said Whiskers. “I’m glad they’re not real pirates. Now we can relax.”

  “Not quite,” I said. “We need to help find Treasure.”

  “You mean outside?” cried Whiskers. “I’m an indoor cat.”

  “I’ll stay here with Whiskers in case Treasure comes back,” said Leopold.

  “What about us?” said Fuzzy, popping back out of the heating vent.

  “We know kung fu,” added Furry.

  “I don’t think kung fu will be necessary,” I said. “You two head back to the crow’s nest and keep watch. Coco, you cover the yard. Shadow, you’re in charge of bushes and hedges. I’ll take the barn and kennels. We’re going on a Treasure hunt!”

  CHAPTER

  12

  I nudged the front door open with my nose. The wind whipped and the leaves swirled. We braced ourselves and headed outside.

  Coco searched the yard. “Treasure,” she called. “Where are you, Treasure?”

  Shadow searched in the hedges. “Treasure,” I heard her call. “Are you in here, Treasure?”

  I hurried off to the barn and kennels. I could see Mom, Dad, and Annie down by the road, still looking. But there was no sign of Treasure.

 
The barn door was open a little. Maybe Treasure had flown inside to escape the wind.

  “Hi, Dash,” said Dandelion, the alpaca. “Back so soon?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Well, you just ran through, of course,” said Dandelion.

  I was confused. “Dandelion, have you seen a gray parrot?”

  “Silly, you just asked me that!” said Dandelion with her toothy grin.

  I scratched at the kennel door. It was shut tight.

  “Can you hear me?” I called to the guests inside. “It’s me, Dash. Has anyone seen a gray parrot?”

  “No,” Houdini, the hound, called back.

  “But we’ll keep an eye out,” called Walter, the Portuguese water dog.

  “Wait!” It was Cassandra, the calico cat. “Someone just flew by my window.”

  I ran back outside. But the only thing I saw flying by Cassandra’s window was a huge leaf caught in the wind.

  I scanned the field and sniffed at the air. Nothing.

  I looked back toward Animal Inn. Nothing.

  I looked down the driveway. Mom and Annie were standing next to Annie’s car. I saw Mom put an arm around Annie’s shoulders to comfort her.

  Then I had a frightening thought.

  What if we didn’t find Treasure? It would be dark before long. Treasure would be outside in the wind and the cold. All alone.

  Shiver me timbers. Maybe we were sunk.

  Feeling defeated, I started toward to the inn. I hadn’t taken more than a few steps when I felt something on my neck, clinging to my collar.

  “Was that a lion that yowled?” said a small voice next to my ear. “Or a tiger?”

  “Um—” I started.

  “Whatever it was, it was scary,” said the voice. “Right, Blackbeard?”

  “Oh, my name’s not—” I stopped talking. But I kept walking.

  “I’m glad I found you, Blackbeard,” said the voice. “I was so scared. And I don’t want Annie to leave. And it’s so windy today. And there was that lion noise. And my harness was loose. And then I got lost.”

  No doubt about it. I had found Treasure. Or rather, Treasure had found me.

  She sighed. I could feel her body relax. I kept walking.

  Then suddenly a dog came running across the field. It looked just like . . . me! It was another Tibetan terrier. We were almost twins, except the fur on my chin is white, and the fur on its chin was black.

  Now I understood. Black. Beard.

  “Oh, hi, Blackbeard,” said Treasure. Then I felt her suddenly stiffen. “Wait!” she said. “If you’re Blackbeard . . . who’s this?”

  Blackbeard smiled. “This is our lucky charm.”

  Treasure flew over to Blackbeard and looked back at me, a little confused.

  “I’m Dash,” I said. “Welcome to Animal Inn.”

  Blackbeard and I hit it off right away. Like I said, we Tibetan terriers make very good companions. Together we headed back to the inn. I could see Fuzzy and Furry cheering from the crow’s nest. Coco and Shadow met us at the front door.

  Mom, Dad, and Annie came running up the driveway.

  “Treasure!” said Annie. “My precious Treasure.” She gently took Treasure from Blackbeard.

  “Dash? Coco? Shadow?” Mom asked. “How did you three get out?”

  “I guess all’s well that ends well,” said Dad.

  We went inside to the Welcome Area. Whiskers was in his usual spot on the sofa. Leopold was on his perch. Jake, Ethan, and Cassie were downstairs too. Mom introduced everyone. Annie told the Tylers a little bit about herself and her pets.

  “I’ll be back in a few days to pick you up,” Annie assured Blackbeard and Treasure. Mom and Dad walked Annie out to her car.

  “Wow,” said Jake. “Annie has the coolest job.”

  “I know,” said Ethan.

  “When I grow up,” said Cassie, “I want to be a harbor pirate just like Annie.”

  “Cassie, it’s harbor pilot. Not harbor pirate,” corrected Ethan.

  “That’s what I said,” insisted Cassie. “Harbor pirate.” She tried hard to make the L sound, but it still came out like “pirate.”

  “Annie helps to guide ships, not raid and rob them,” said Jake.

  “Plus, why would a pirate ever come to Animal Inn?” said Ethan.

  “Yeah, that would be ridiculous,” said Cassie.

  I looked at Leopold. Leopold looked at me.

  Yes. Totally ridiculous.

  EPILOGUE

  I learned a lot of important lessons from our pirate scare:

  1. Wearing an eye-patch and owning a parrot do not necessarily make you a pirate.

  2. Treasures come in all shapes and sizes.

  3. A fifty-percent-off coupon can be very good for business.

  4. Sooner or later crows will come back to roost. (And they don’t mind gerbils so much.)

  By Sunday morning Animal Inn was like a calm sea. The sky was blue. The wind had disappeared. It was a perfect day.

  Mom took Blackbeard and me on a long walk in the woods.

  Jake’s ankle felt better after he had a good night’s sleep.

  Ethan told Leopold all about the camping adventure.

  And Cassie found the perfect place to keep Annie’s Treasure—in her room.

  “Penny, Treasure, and I slept very well last night,” said Cassie.

  “But I put Penny on the third floor,” said Mom.

  “Well . . . ,” said Cassie with a smile.

  Dad came in from clearing the tree limb that had been blocking the driveway.

  “I might need glasses,” he said.

  “Why?” asked Mom.

  “I’m positive I just saw Fuzzy and Furry on the roof,” said Dad, scratching his head. “It looked like they were having a conversation with some crows.”

  “That’s impossible,” said Ethan.

  “They’re in the gerbiltorium,” said Jake.

  “Are you sure?” asked Mom.

  Ethan rushed upstairs to check. Jake limped close behind.

  Ding-dong!

  “That’s probably another customer with a coupon,” said Mom, sighing.

  “You relax,” said Dad. “I’ll get it.”

  But it wasn’t a customer. It was a delivery person.

  “Special delivery,” she said.

  Dad took the package and thanked her. He turned to Mom, a bit puzzled. “I didn’t order anything. Did you?”

  “Not me,” said Mom. “Who’s it from?”

  Dad looked at the mailing label. “Picture Purr fect?” he said.

  “Can I open it?” begged Cassie. “Please.”

  Cassie opened the box. Packing peanuts tumbled onto the floor.

  “It’s a photo!” said Cassie. She held it up for Mom and Dad to see. “It’s so cute.”

  Mom and Dad sure looked confused.

  “I didn’t order it,” said Mom.

  “Me either,” said Dad.

  “We can hang it in the office,” Cassie said excitedly.

  “I guess I’ll get the hammer,” said Dad.

  “I’ll get a picture hook,” said Mom. “But who would send us a framed photo of Fuzzy and Furry?”

  I looked at Leopold. Leopold looked at me.

  Those little scallywags.

  FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT ANIMAL INN STORY.

  Beep-beep!

  Beep-beep!

  Yippee! The school bus is here.

  Beep-beep!

  Welcome to Animal Inn. My name is Coco. I’m a chocolate Labrador retriever.

  No, I’m not made of chocolate, silly. I don’t even like the stuff. We dogs aren’t supposed to eat chocolate. But I do like to eat. Especially cheese.

  I like cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese and American cheese. I like cheese sticks and cheese balls and cheese puffs. I like mac-and-cheese and grilled cheese and cheese pizza.

  Luckily, my human sister, Cassie, likes cheese as much as I do. Cassie and I belong to the Tyler family. Our
family includes five humans—Mom, Dad, Jake, Ethan, and Cassie—and seven pets:

  • Me

  • Dash—a Tibetan terrier

  • Leopold—a scarlet macaw

  • Shadow and Whiskers—sister and brother cats

  • and Fuzzy and Furry—a pair of very adventurous gerbils

  The Tylers used to live in an apartment in the city. Back then, Mom and Dad had two children, Jake and Ethan, and two pets, Dash and Leopold. But when Cassie and I came along, Mom and Dad bought this old house in the country.

  Animal Inn is one part hotel, one part school, and one part spa. As our brochure says, We promise to love your pet as much as you do.

  Beep-beep!

  Where are Jake, Ethan, and Cassie? It’s time for them to go to school.

  Before long, customers will start to arrive. On some days, there is so much coming and going, Animal Inn could use a revolving door. We might have a Pekinese here for a pedicure. A Siamese for a short stay. Or a llama for a long stay.

  On the first floor, we have the Welcome Area, the office, the classroom, the grooming room, and my favorite—the party and play room.

  Our family lives on the second floor. This includes Fuzzy and Furry snug in their gerbiltorium in Jake and Ethan’s room.

  The third floor is for smaller guests. We have a Reptile Room, a Rodent Room, and a Small Mammal Room. Larger guests stay out in the barn and kennels.

  Beep-beep!

  Where are those kids?

  What if they miss the bus? What if they miss school?

  School is so awesome. There’s story time and lunchtime and playtime. Not too long ago, I got to spend an entire day with Cassie’s first-grade class. Let me tell you what happened. . . .

  CHAPTER

  1

  It began like any other Monday.

  When Cassie and I came downstairs that morning, Leopold was already on his perch. Dash sat nearby. Whiskers was curled up on the sofa, while Shadow hid behind it. (She likes to sneak outside whenever she gets the chance.)

  Cassie chattered to me as usual. “My school job this week is snack helper,” she said. She unzipped her backpack and pulled out her lunchbox. “Sit please, Princess Coco.”