enough to convince him that he would be found, or that he could bring him back onto the team. Eventually, Balto began to come back into town more frequently to visit Jenna and her family, but he received very little attention from the rest of the townspeople. It seemed as though Nome had forgotten their hero. His strange behavior on the team made them believe that maybe he wasn't the wonder dog they thought he was after all. To add to it, Balto very rarely made contact with the other dogs in town, as he did not want to have to deal with any badgering in regards to why he did what he did. They forgot him too. They decided that Balto wanted nothing to do with them, and was just happy on his own. Whether anyone wanted to accept it or not, Balto had become an outcast.

On this day, Balto was making his way to Jenna's house for a visit, when he heard a tiny voice coming from a nearby alley. "Help me!" the voiced cried out. "Please, someone!"

Balto immediately came bounding towards the sound of the voice. It was coming from within a trash can. "Are you all right?" Balto called putting his ear against the can.

"Oh, yes. I'm fine, but I'm stuck in here. Can ye get me out?"

Thinking quickly, Balto decided there was only one way to get whoever it was out. "Hang on," he said. "I'm gonna tip this can over." He pushed against the side of it with his muzzle, and soon the can fell on its side. A small dog came flying out, and landed flat on his face. The dog had fairly plain fur, and what looked like a mustache above his lip. He was certainly happy to be out.

"Oh, thank ya' laddie!" the strange dog said. "I might've been stuck in there for good if you hadn't have come along. This alley is right where my master can't hear me." He had a harsh accent that Balto couldn't grasp.

"You have a master?" he asked, "What on earth were you doing digging through the garbage?"

"Oh, it's just delightfully better than what the humans feed us! Don't you think?" He began to bark, in tiny yips, and started running circles around Balto.

"Uh yeah, I guess," Balto replied, rolling his eyes.

The dog stopped running for a second. "Say, aren't ye' that famous dog that saved the town?" he asked.

"Yeah, that'd be me. I'm Balto." he replied.

"Name's Casey. A pleasure to meet you matey." Casey started doing his crazy barking routine again. Balto began to chuckle at this laughable scene. "So," Casey asked, "why did you quit the dog sled team?"

"Why do you ask?" Balto said, getting somewhat defensive, "you want to rag me about it?"

"Oh, no!" Casey said. "It really doesn't matter, I've just been wondering for quite some time."

"Well..." Balto hesitated, "I just decided it's not for me. That's all. Why? Did the dog council say something different about it?"

"I don't know. I don't go to the town meetings very often," Casey replied. "They get somewhat irritated with me being there, because I'm not the type that can stand still and keep quiet."

Balto snickered. "No argument here," he thought to himself. "Where are you from?" he asked, "It doesn't sound like it's from around here."

"I was born in Ireland, laddie. My master and I moved here not long ago." He started jumping around as he spoke. It became apparent that this dog couldn't control his energy.

Balto found that he somewhat liked this little fellow. He certainly was hyper, but his heart was in the right place. "So, I take it you don't know your way around town too well yet?"

"Can't say that I do, laddie," Casey returned.

"Well, why don't I show you around a little bit? I know where the butcher throws out all his scraps."

"That would be great, my lad! I'm still a bit hungry anyway..."

 

Chapter 7: A Dog with Nothing to Lose

 

Casey was shaking in fear, as he looked around this dark and scary part of the woods he had been brought to. He had been pinned up against a gigantic tree, with a rocky ridge right behind it that was impossible for someone like him to climb. There was no way out.

"I-I-I...I don't understand," Casey said, trembling with fear, "Why! Why are you doing this?" He could only make out a pair of luminous blue eyes in the small clearing in front of him.

"You spend time with that low down mutt, you're asking for trouble from me," Steele said, as he pounced out of the darkness, and landed right in front of his hostage. Casey hunkered down against the tree in fear. He could feel Steele's breath against his face. It had been about a week since Balto had first met Casey, and although Balto was at times annoyed by his presence, he found that he was actually a good friend whom he could relate to greatly. This however, brought some unwanted attention from Steele.

"Please," Casey pleaded, "I don't want no trouble. I didn't do anything wrong."

Steele snorted right in his face. "Maybe I won't hurt you, if you cooperate with me," he growled.

"Anything..." Casey begged. "Name it."

"Balto is a good friend of yours, and I believe he trusts you quite a lot. So, maybe you can help me by bringing him here..." he voice deepened, "where I can do what I'm about to do to you, to him instead."

"No!" Casey shouted. "Balto is my friend! I could never let that happen to him."

"Well then," Steele said, beginning to walk circles around him. Casey darted towards an opening, but Steele lunged in his way. "If you won't bring him here to receive what I owe him," he slowly backed Casey into a corner, "why don't I just give it to you. You're a trusted friend, aren't you...?" he began to show his teeth.

Casey hung his head low. "I'm afraid I can't let you hurt my friend," he sighed. He slowly walked into Steele's presence, and closed his eyes, "So, I will gladly take a beating for him..."

Steele was surprised. "Hmm...You're a lot braver than you look," he said. Casey looked up at him humbly. Steele turned his eyes towards the sky, as if he were thinking. "All right," he said. "I'll let you go. But mark my words...your friend will pay for what he did, one way or another. Now, get out of here before I change my mind..."

 

…

 

"...And then he said, 'you better get out of here before I change my mind,'" Casey continued. "I took off as fast as I could, you see. I didn't know where I was, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get away. Eventually, I found my way out."

Balto shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe this," he said. "I'm...I'm so sorry you had to get put through that..."

"It's not your fault, laddie."

"I guess I really owe you one for not giving into him," Balto said. "That was really brave of you. Not a lot of other dogs would've had the guts to stand up to Steele like that."

"Ha! Anything for a friend," Casey barked happily.

Balto began to realize just how loyal a friend Casey was really becoming. "Well, I want to make sure he never bothers you again," he said.

"How are you going to do that? I can't stay with you all the time," Casey inquired.

"I'll talk to Jenna," Balto answered. "I'm sure she can help. She's a pretty strong voice in the dog council. She'll get some help for you."

"I thank you for this my friend, but...I can't help but wonder, what did Steele mean by, 'He'll pay, one way or another'?"

"I don't know, Casey," Balto softly replied, looking off into space. "I just don't know..."

 

…

 

Nome, Alaska

Spring 1926

 

"This is so strange," Rosie's mother said to the veterinarian. "Jenna's put on so much weight. We've been feeding her well, just as we always have. Yet, she's been sneaking meals here and there. We've caught her digging through the garbage on more than one occasion, and seen her getting scraps from Balto." The doctor began moving his stethoscope around Jenna's chest, as he continued to listen. "I can't figure out why she wants to eat so much, all of a sudden," Rosie's mother finished.

Indeed, Jenna's stomach had swollen quite a bit, and she had noticeably gained some weight. "Can you figure out what's wrong with her?" Rosie asked in her innocent child voice.

The doctor chuckled. "I'm sure I'll be able to my dear," he said. He continued examining Jenna, as the family stood there in the small room watching.

"So, why do you think it could be that she would be this way all of a sudden," Rosie's father chimed in. But, the doctor didn't answer. He stopped moving the stethoscope, and seemed to zero in on a spot on Jenna's front.

"Hmm..." he said, acting very interested in what he was listening to.

"What is it?" Rosie's dad asked.

The doctor took off his stethoscope, and draped it around his neck as he stood up to speak. "Well, I've got some good news for you folks," he began. "She's completely normal, and there's nothing wrong with her at all,"

"But...I don't understand," Rosie's mom spoke.

"The reason for her change in appetite is this. When I was listening to her chest, I heard more than one heartbeat. Quite a few as a matter of fact."

Everyone seemed confused.

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