exact same offer. Balto jumped when something laid it's self across his shoulder. He looked to see who it was and breathed a sigh of relief at seeing it was only Boris.

“Come on Balto” Boris said quietly.

They sat watching the Flying Dutchman for a while. Finally, Davy must have finished talking with the prisoners because, even though they were quite a ways away, they heard his crab leg thunking across the deck. Within minutes they heard a loud organ playing. The Flying Dutchman started turning and sailing away. Now it was Boris's turn to breath a sigh of relief. Balto kept watching the Dutchman and started pointing wildly towards it saying to Boris “Look! Look!”

Boris looked and watched in amazement the Flying Dutchman actually dived into the water and disappeared from sight.

“What do we do now Boris?” asked Balto.

Boris put his wing around Balto. “We wait Balto. We wait. Someone will come and rescue us.”

Balto relaxed a little bit. “I just hope there aren't anymore surprises.”

'Me too' thought Boris.

Balto fell asleep before too long. Boris stayed up and stood guard just in case anything else happened. He felt very sorry for Balto. No 11 year old should have seen what Balto had seen that day. In fact, no one should have seen what they saw.

 

Boris was just about to nod off when he saw a light off in the distance. He rubbed his eyes thinking that it was just his imagination. He looked again. It was real! Coming fully awake he started shouting for all he was worth. At first he thought that they hadn't heard him. Then he realized, they didn't hear him. They had seen the wreckage and had started to come over. As they approached Boris started yelling again.

This time they did hear him. The ship dropped a rowboat and came over. They quickly loaded him and Balto on and took them back to the boat. Balto slept thru the whole thing.

 

'Boris what's going on?”

“I don't know Balto.”

“Look out!”

Balto woke up. The same nightmare that had been haunting him for nearly 18 years woke him up once again. He wished that he could forget that day when he had seen Davy Jones. It was nearly sunrise so Balto decided to get out of bed anyway. Him, Boris and a few other dogs worked at a local blacksmith not a block away. After they had gotten back home after their 'shipwreck' several years ago, Boris found a job for the two of them at the blacksmith.

Balto rolled out of bed and walked downstairs into the main room of the inn that he lived in. The owner of the inn was already in the kitchen getting the food prepared for that days customers.

He smiled to the lady. “Good morning Miss Dixie.”

The little dog looked up and smiled. “Oh good morning dear. Off to work already?”

“Yes. I woke up early and thought that I might as well head over. Might get an extra pound or two.”

“That sounds good. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what made you get up so early?”

Balto didn't really like talking about that much but he decided to tell her. “I had that nightmare again.”

Dixie walked out of the kitchen and told him to sit down. After he did she sat down beside him. “Are you alright?”

Balto nodded. “Yeah I am now. I just wish that it would go away.”

Dixie stood back up to her full 5 foot height and said “I'm sure it will eventually.” Just then there was a knocking on the door and Jenna walked in. Jenna had been working for Dixie for several months now and her and Balto were good friends.

She was surprised to see Balto up so early. “Oh, hello Balto. How are you?”

Balto stood up and said “I'm okay. You?”

“Same.”

The three of them sat around for a little bit talking. Balto had never told Jenna about his experience and was glad for it. Jenna tended to over dramatize things and to talk about it a lot. He looked out the window and noticed that the sun had gone up a far bit.

“I'm sorry but I have to go now. See you all later.”

“Bye Balto.”

He grabbed the lunch that Dixie had made him and then headed toward work. The door was still locked when he got there but he luckily had a key. He walked in and built a fire for later in the day. He had been working on a shovel the other day and thought that it would be a good idea to finish it. He got the fire going nice and hot and started working on the shovel. He tried to hammer it quietly so as not to disturb the owner of the smith who happened to live upstairs. But hammering a piece of metal is not quiet. The noise woke up Kaltag who came down grumpily.

“That has to be the most annoying, disturbing...”

Balto rolled his eyes. Kaltag was always grumbling about something.

“Balto what do you think you're doing!?”

Balto held up his hammer and said “Working.”

“Humph. You could at least try to do that quietly.”

“I did. Banging on steel isn't quiet. Besides, Star is expecting it this morning. He said that if he didn't get it, he wouldn't pay for it.”

Kaltag narrowed his eyes. “He did hmmm? Well, if he comes by here, I'm going to hit him on the head so hard he'll fall over!”

Balto ignored him and went back to working.

Several hours later Balto took a break for lunch. He sat down at a table with Kaltag, Boris who had arrived an hour after Balto, and the twins Muk and Luk. Muk and Luk also worked at Kaltags but they didn't actually do any smithing. Only Balto and Kaltag did that. They went around town advertising Kaltags all over Port Elizabeth, just a few miles north of Port Royal.

As they sat around eating, Star came walking up the street. Balto pointed him out to Kaltag. Kaltag groaned. Star always interrupted him! Neither of them would admit it, but Balto knew that they were the best of friends. “Good morning to you all” Star said as he walked up. “I am here to inquire as to the status of my spade.”

Kaltag wiggled his finger around in his ear. “What's that Mr. Star? I can't understand all of those fancy words.”

Star seemed to think for a second then said “I want to know if my shovel is done yet you idiot.”

Kaltag brightened up. “Ah! Much better! Yes your shovel is done.” Kaltag reached around behind him and picked the shovel up. “Here you are sir.”

Star reached into his pocket and paid Kaltag for the shovel. He was about to leave when Muk spoke up and said “Would you care to join us for lunch?”

Star smiled. “Yes thank you. It sounds very nice.”

He sat down and started to help himself. They sat in silence for a little while. Boris asked Star “Where are you headed today?”

Star looked up from his plate and said “I am on my way to the club. Tonight, we are actually playing a game.”

Luk spoke up. “A game? I love games! What is it?”

“It is a fibbing game. Quite childish really but very fun. What you do is say some outrageous thing. Whoever says the craziest thing wins 10 pounds.”

Luk was literally jumping out of his seat with excitement. “Can we come mister Star? Please, please, please, please...”

Star held up his paw in an attempt to stop Luk. “I don't see why not. Would all of you like to come? I'm sure that the rest of the club won't mind.”

Kaltag looked around the table. “Sure why not? It sounds like an easy way to earn ten pounds.”

The six of them got up and made their way to the club.

They were quite surprised by the jolly atmosphere of the place. There were dogs and geese and bears all over laughing as if they were half drunk. Star was very disappointed in them, having very strict manners.

The six of them walked into the 'fibbing room' and found a place to sit down. Balto couldn't help but laugh at some of the lies being told. Some of them were as follows,

“I went to Tortuga once and managed to leave without getting drunk.”

“I was stranded on an island out at sea and I got off by tyeing three turtles together like a raft.”

“I am the most handsome dog in town!”

And so on.

It finally came Luks turn and he blurted out without thinking “My friend Balto here came face to face with the Kraken and then saw Davy Jones!”

For a second, the whole room went silent. Balto lowered his head into his hands and Boris sent Luk a look that made Luks fur stand on end. Then the room burst into laughter.

Balto won the pot. He gave it to Boris to split up between the six of them and walked home. It wouldn't have been so bad if the dogs had started laughing instantly. What annoyed him was the fact that half the animals in the room had believed Luk. He had gotten out as fast as he could before anyone could come up and ask him any questions.

He looked up gladly at the sign that showed him that this is the inn he wanted. He opened the door and walked in.

Jenna came from the kitchen and almost had a heart attack from fright.

“Balto! You need to learn how to knock! You almost scared me to death!”

“Sorry Jenna.”

She noticed that something was wrong so she put down the plate she had been carrying and asked him “What's wrong?”

Balto sighed. “You don't want to know.”

“Yes I do.”

“No you don't.”

“Yes I do.”

“What's going on?” Dixie asked, walking out of the kitchen as well.

“I don't know.” said Jenna.

“You don't want to know.”

“Yes I do.”

Jenna turned to her and said “Something is troubling Balto.”

Dixie looked at Balto alarm spread across her face. She also quit what she was doing and walked over to him. “Is it what I think it is?”

Balto just nodded.

Jenna asked Dixie “You

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