away. Balto supposed they thought that if they did this he would leave. But Balto couldn't leave Nome. Anchorage was out of the question and everywhere else near nome was too far away. So balto had to rely on the small scraps that he rarely got and the occasional meat the butcher of Nome would give him. The butcher was the only person in nome, apart from alex, that liked him.

Balto sighed as he finished searching the small town for food and decided to see if jake(the town butcher) had anything for him. Balto got lucky today and jake gave balto a large chunk of meat that wasn' being used and balto ate it gratefully.

After balto finished the meat he headed towards his boat and sure enough he ran into Steele.

"what now steele?" Balto asked annoyed

"when are you ever going to leave this place?" was all steele said before attacking balto. Balto got in a few good licks and steele did too but it was steele who won. Balto ran from steele for a short ways then sighed.

"im getting sick of living like this" Balto said angrily and continued walking towards his home. When he got there he sat down and began wishing he had at least one friend. After it got dark balto yawned then went to sleep.

When balto woke up the next morning he sat up and yawned and streatched then walked off the boat and towards town. Once he walked past the sign that said "Welcome to Nome" he heard the familiar commotion of a dog sled race. He rushed towards the sound, climbing stacked crates outside buildings, jumping onto the ruffs, and running back alleys balto reached the race. Balto then zigzagged his way threw the mass of legs from the crowd and when he got a good view of the race he saw the lead dog of one team. The dog was black, white and well and well built. It was Steele. This dog had been balto's enemy since he had come to nome. Steele had his head heald high with his chest out. Balto looked away from steele and watched the other team line up and get ready. Then there was the gunshot that signaledthe race's start. Balto, who had gone to almost every race since he had come to nome, was used to the sound. The dogs took off running and balto watched them dart past. He longed to be on a team. After the dogs were gone balto sighed then began strolling threw the town. He shivered as the ice-cold wind blew on him. He decided to head home and on his way he passed alex's house. Expecting to see alex on the porch playing with a ball or eating one of the warm round foods called 'cookies' that they had shared, balto looked onto the porch and saw nothing. the lights inside the house were out and their car was gone. Stuck to the door was a sign that said

"SOLD"

Once balto read this he felt both sad and relieved. He wished he could have seen alex ne more time before that left, but he was glad that crazy butcher and alex's father was gone. As balto continued home he wondered who the house had been sold too.

Part 5

By the time the dog sled race was over balto had become anxious to find out who was moving into his old home and as a rusult balto nearly missed the ending of the race. So balto, panting, ran until he reached the crowd near the 'Finish' sign. He was just in time to hear several people shout "GO STEELE!" and sure enough steele won. Balto liked watching these races but lately he'd been wanting to be on a sled team. Balto watched steele show off and brag for awhile before he got sick of hearing steele and left. On his way home balto saw his old home but it wasen't empty anymore. There was a truck in the front and a light was on inside. Balto, excited, wondered again who was moving in.

"Hay mutt, guess what i just found out" came steele's voice.

"ive no idea steele" balto grunted.

"your a half-wolf" steele relied changing his stance to a pouncing stance.

"How did you find out? Balto asked shocked.

"I have my rescorces" Steele said then pounced. Balto was ready for him and they collided. Balto was pinned down by steele who growled down at him "leave wolf-dog and never come back"

Balto managed to get on his paws and swiped at steele, cutting steele's cheek. Steele didn't yelp of anythig. He just turned his head slowly back towards balto, showing his teeth. Steele then bit down on balto's neck and threw him into the trash cans outside his old home. There was a resulting crash and loud banging and balto's head colided with the wall and he became extremely dizzy.

Getting back up balto ran towards steele as best he could and jumped at steele. They rolled on the ground until balto pinned steele down and starled at steele, showing his teeth. Steele pushed balto off with his hind legs then tried to attack balto again but balto swiped at steele again and this time he got steele across the eye. Steele stopped and ran back whimpering. Balto grinned as he watched steele run then collapsed to the ground and blacked out.

When balto opened his eyes again and his eyes had focused he saw a rust red and cream white female dog standing over him with a worried look in her eyes. Balto's stomach clenched.

"are you alright?" she asked

"im not sure" balto replied

"what happened to you? you've got a pretty good size bump on your head" she said

"I er got attacked" balto said rolling onto his stomach and sitting up.

"oh, are you sure your ok?" She asked again

"yea, just a bump on the head" Balto replied watching the female.

"ok, i was just wondering because you caused quit a racket when you hit those trash cans outside my owners home" she stated.

"you live here?" balto asked surprised

"yea, only just moved in last night" She replied

"oh, well i never got your name" Balto started

"it's Jenna and what's your name?" Jenna asked

"My name is balto" balto said smiling at jenna

"well id better get back inside so i guess ill see you later balto" Jenna said then walked up the porch and went threw a dog door that had been installed. Balto left to go back to his boat after jenna dissapeared threw the dog door and on his way he couldn't get his mind off jenna. Several thoughts about weather he was in her league and what she might have thought about him came to his mind.

That night, while balto's dreams were full of jenna, steele crept up towards the wreaced boat that balto now lay asleep on.

"This wolf-dog is gunna get what he deserves" steele said. His eye now was swollen and black. His anger towards the wolf-dog had increased evn more since he had caused him his swollen eye and after finding out the new female dog had liked balto.

how could such a beautiful dog set he standards so low? Steele though angrily as he crept towards the sleeping wolf-dog. When steele was standing over balto he saw that balto was sleeping with a half smile on his face. As though he was happy about something but he was worried about something else. Steele also noticed that balto had his legs closed tight. Steele snorted and then bit baltos neck and threw him. Balto woke startled and whined as he collided with the floor, feeling splinters sink into his back. Steele charged at balto and swiped at balto's side and a large deep gash appeared which began bleeding instently. Balto howled in pain and steele cut him again on the back with the same results.

It was ahile before steele finished with balto but when steele walked away he knew a smile wouldn't cross balto's face for a long time. Even as he left he could hear balto's moans of agony from the beach, where steele had caused balto to fall off the boat and onto.

"that'll teach that mutt not to mess with me" steele said, a grin stretching across his face.

Balto, now covered in gashes from steele's lethal claws lay on the sand breathing hard. Every breath balto took hurt and he felt as though he was being whipped again by those belts again.

As balto lay trying to get his breathing back to normal he felt like he was getting weaker and weaker and weaker

Soon after, balto was pushed down the beach as the tide picked up.

Near morning the sun was starting to rise and a goose V formation flew acroose the sky. As they flew over where balto lay one goose at the back fell from the air yelling. The goose flapped its wings but it kepy falling. The goose fell onto the snow covered ground and fell threw the snow.

"lucky there was all this snow but that's the last time i fly" The goose said getting up and wiping the snow from its hings. As the goose walked it suddnly tripped and fell ontop of the bloody body of balto.

"good god a dog" the goose said shocked. It might be dead. what do i do? the goose thought then saw the boat off in the distance. "I should try and help the poor guy" The goose said trying to decide what to do.

The goose decided to help the dog and splashed water on the dog to wash the blood away then took him to the boat and laind him on it.

"That's about all i can do for him" The goose said.

When balto finally opened his eyes he saw that it was daylight and that snow was falling from the sky but what he found wierd was that he was on his boat. Balto remembered passing out on the beach. He also realized the flood from his many gashes was gon. Balto found this really wierd and was trying to figure out weather it had all benn a dream when a goose appeared on the boat. Balto watched the goose then realized this goose must have saved him. Balto then tried to speak but his throat was dry so he swallowed then said

"hi, did you save me?"

"i did. What happened too you? When i washed the blood away your fur turned to an entirely different color. I thought some shade of red must have been your fur color" The goose said in a caring tone.

"oh, well i was attacked in my sleep" Balto