Toby Part Eight: Wilderness Hunt Part 1 “Come on,” groaned Toby.“It’s already past noon.Where are they?"
Toby stared at her. “Mom, aren’t you anxious for him to get here?”
“Of course I am. “But you’re acting like they might never get here. Trust me, they always do. Especially him.”
Toby looked frustrated. “I know, I know. I’m just anxious for them to get back.”
Watching them, Luna rolled her eyes. She knew why Toby was so anxious for the sled to arrive. This wasn’t the mail team, like most sled runs. Toby was waiting for the police team to get back with his dad. They’d been gone for two weeks, looking for an escaped convict. And Rex had asked Toby to look after
“They’re coming!” Toby barked, snapping Luna out of her thoughts. In an instant, he had transformed from a tense statue into a whirlwind of energy.
“Hold it,” said Terry, planting a paw on his tail to keep him from dashing out to the sled. “You’re not officially off duty yet, Officer Toby.”
Toby gave his mother a pleading look. “Mom, please don’t talk to me like I don’t have any sense. It’s embarrassing- especially in front of Luna,” he finished under his breath. But all the same, he forced himself to stay put.
To their surprise, the sled didn’t stop by the jail, where they were waiting. It blew right past them and kept going down the street. “Come on!” yelled Toby. The three of them bolted after the sled.
“Hey!” Toby yelled to the dogs pulling the sled. “Where are you going?!”
“The vet’s office!” came the reply from Exile, the police team’s lead dog. “We’ve got a big problem!”
“Who is it?” asked Terry. But by then the team was starting to pull ahead of them again, and they couldn’t make out the reply.
“Shortcut!” Luna barked, dashing between the Post Office and the General Store. Toby and Terry followed, and the three of them came out right by the animal hospital where the sled team was just pulling to a stop.
“Dad!” Toby called, running up to the sled. There was no reply. No bloodhound jumped from the sled. “Dad?” asked Toby in confusion as the police chief hurriedly removed a bundle of furs from the sled and headed for the hospital.
Terry gasped. “Toby, look!”
Toby turned to follow his mother’s gaze and saw what had so upset her. Sticking out of the fur in the chief’s arms was a large, baggy-looking nose that could be mistaken for no other dog in
A half-hour later, Toby and Luna pressed their ears to the operating room door at the veterinary clinic. Terry, shocked by the sight of Rex being carried into the hospital, had gone home.
“Is it bad?” asked the chief’s voice. “Is…is Rex going to be all right?”
The doctor sighed. “Well, he’ll live, and he should make a complete recovery, but it’ll take a pretty long time. That gunshot really did a number on him.”
‘Gunshot?’ Toby’s jaw dropped open. Luna, whose head was just below his, seemed to sense his distress. The fact that his jaw hit her squarely on the forehead might have been a tip-off. She nudged him under the chin to remind him she was there.
There was the sound of a fist slamming on a tabletop. “I’m going to get another search party together and find that rat,” snarled the chief. Toby and Luna ducked into hiding as he walked out the door. When he was gone, they returned to the door.
“What should we do?” asked Luna.
“I don’t know, but there’s one thing for sure. I have to see my dad.” Toby paused. “But how do I get in?”
“May I make a suggestion?” asked Luna. She led him outside and around to the window of the recovery room. Peering in, they saw cages of various sizes for animals recovering from injuries or sickness- or in the case of Toby’s father, surgery. “The lock on this window broke years ago, but no one ever bothers to fix it. A lot of my visitors got in this way when I was staying here once. We can just push it open, get in, get out, and we’re good to go.”
Toby nodded approvingly. “Good idea,” he said. “Meet me here tonight after the place closes up.” He could hear his father inside, weakly calling for him. “I’ll be back, dad,” he promised.
Toby nodded. “Thanks,” he said, jumping through the open window. The room was dark. “Dad?” he asked, peering around.
“Over here, son,” came a voice from one of the cages.
Toby trotted over. “Dad, are you okay? Your voice sounds weird.”
“It’s the medicine they gave me while they were getting the bullet out. Hasn’t quite worn off yet.”
Toby put his paws up against the mesh. “Dad, what happened?”
He was answered with a snarl. “Bryan Lawrence happened. I had him cornered when he pulled a gun on me, fired twice, and took off. Lucky for me only one shot found its mark.”
“The chief says he’s gonna send someone else out to get him.”
“I know,” said Rex. “Toby, I want you to be that one.”
“Me?” asked Toby. “But I’ve never had any training. I don’t know how to track criminals.”
“You tracked Steele once, didn’t you?” asked Rex. “It’s the same thing. Listen, Toby, you’ve got the best nose in town. If you can’t do it, nobody can.”
“But I don’t…”
“Listen,” said Rex, and Toby could tell he was close to falling asleep. “Need I remind you that this man is a killer? You have to do this. Do it for them. Do it for me. But please do it.”
Toby nodded. “I’ll do it,” he promised. “I’ll find him, and I’ll bring him back.” His brow furrowed ominously. “Dead or alive.”
“Alive!” snapped Rex. “I stand for justice, and I won’t have my son turning into a vigilante. Bring him back, but promise me you won’t do it for revenge."
Toby nodded. “I promise.” Only now, as his eyes adjusted, did he see how bad his father looked. The stitches, the bandages, it was almost too much. Rex had always been a strong dog, a powerful, noble figure. But now he looked weak and sick. Toby struggled not to cry. “Goodnight, dad,” he said as he left.
He jumped out the window, and Luna pulled it closed. “What’s up?” she asked.
“I’m going after him,” said Toby.
“Who?”
“The criminal who did this to my father,” he answered. “I’m going to find him and make him pay for all of it.”
“I’ll see what I can find out,” offered Luna. “If Haley or Phoebe don’t know, there’s not a dog in
“Thanks,” said Toby, although the word sounded flat and dead even to him.
Toby went back to visit his father again the next day, and was very much relieved to see that he seemed to be better. “How long until they let you out?” he asked.
“A month, maybe two,” answered Rex. “And if this cage weren’t so small I’d be a lot happier about it.”
Toby nodded, then pressed right to the heart of the matter. “How do I get the chief to pick me for the job?”
“Oh, that’s easy enough. Just go to him, and he’ll recognize you.”
“Are you sure? I’ve grown a lot since the last time he saw me.”
“Trust me. He’s worried sick about me right now. He drops by every hour on the hour to see me. Just show up and he’ll see the resemblance and remember that you’re my son. He didn’t get to be chief of police by being ignorant, you know.”
“Okay,” Toby agreed. “Should I go right now?”
Rex nodded firmly. “Absolutely. The sooner we get you on that search team the better.”
Toby headed for the window. “I’ll let you know how it goes,” he promised.
“Bring me a bone with a file in it so I can get out of this blasted cage,” said Rex with a laugh.
A half-hour later Toby returned, thoroughly disgusted. “Nothing!” he snapped. “Absolutely no response! I thought you said he was smart!”
“Didn’t work, huh?” asked Rex.
“No it didn’t!” snarled Toby. “I walked in and looked him right in the face and all he did was chase me out!”
“Hmm,” said Rex. “This may be tricky.” For a long time they discussed possible ideas before finally settling on one. Toby would come in while the chief was visiting Rex, and then they would let him see both of them side by side.
“But what if that doesn’t work?” asked Toby.
Rex set his jaw. “I’m out of ideas, so we’ll just have to pray that it does.”
After what felt like an eternity, the chief showed up to visit Rex. “How is he?” he asked the doctor who came in with him.
“He’s doing well, considering what he’s been through,” answered the doctor.
“Now, Toby,” whispered Rex, although all either of the men heard was a soft woof.
Toby came out of his hiding place behind the cages. “Hey!” said the doctor. “You’re not supposed to be in here!”
“I remember you!” said the chief. “You’re that dog who came into my house this morning!” He reached out a hand to grab Toby by the collar, then stopped, staring at him for a long moment. He looked back and forth between Toby and Rex. “Of course!” he said, slapping himself on the forehead. “You’re one of the pups from that litter Rex and that husky had!”
Toby barked and sat down, offering his paw to shake.
The chief laughed. “Here I’ve been thinking my brains out, and the answer walks right up to me!”
“What answer?” asked the doctor.
“I need a good nose to track down that rat,” answered the chief. “And who else shows up but Rex’s own son. Come on,” he said, studying Toby’s tags. “Let’s go see if your owner will allow it.”
The chief wasted no time following Toby home. “How did you know?” he asked. “How’d you know your old man was in trouble?”
Toby shrugged, assuming this was a rhetorical question. Right now the only thing on his mind was getting onto that search team. He led the chief up to the front door and the chief knocked.
“Yes, just a minute,” came the voice of Mr. Winters. A moment later he opened the door. “Yes?” he asked.
“Hello. Is this your dog?”
“Yes he is. Why?”
“I’m Chief Scotty with the Nome Police Force.”
Mr. Winters’ face took on a worried expression. “What’s Toby done now?” he asked.
The chief stood there in confusion for a moment, then chuckled. “Actually, I was hoping I could borrow him for a while.”
Mr. Winters was completely baffled. “What?”
“I suppose I’d better start from the beginning.”
Mr. Winters nodded. “Alright. If it involves Toby it’s bound to take a while, so come on in.”
They sat down in the living room, where the chief explained the situation. “So you see,” he concluded, “I need to borrow your dog. I can’t do this without him.”
Mr. Winters nodded. “Well, there’s one problem. Toby is my son’s dog, so you’ll have to ask him when he gets home from school.”
The chief nodded. “When will that be?”
Mr. Winters looked at the clock. “I’d say about three hours.”
The chief sighed. “Unbelievable.”
Charlie was not happy when he heard the news. “You want to send my dog to track down some guy who already shot your dog?” he asked when they explained the matter to him.
“Listen, I understand that I’m asking a lot,” said the chief, trying to calm Charlie down. “But this man has to be stopped. And you have my word that Toby will be closely guarded.”
“You must be crazy. The last time Toby went out in the woods with a sled team, he almost got killed!”
The chief was surprised at this and turned to Mr. Winters for an explanation. “Toby’s an indoor dog,” said Mr. Winters. “He was put on a sled team once before we got him, and the effort nearly killed him. He’s not strong enough to pull a sled.”
“It wasn’t just that,” Charlie pointed out. “He also got attacked by a bear and he almost froze to death!”
Toby was outraged. “Hey, I’ve gotten a lot stronger since then!” he protested. “I can handle a little cold.” But of course, nobody understood a word he said.
The chief nodded. “I see,” he said. “Well, let me assure you that Toby won’t get attacked by any bears. And I’ll see to it that he’s kept warm at all times. He can ride on the sled if he’s not strong enough to pull it.”
“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you drag my dog out there!”
“Son,” Mr. Winters interjected. “Perhaps you should listen.”
“Don’t tell me you actually think I should send Toby into the woods after a guy with a gun!” cried Charlie in disbelief.
The chief threw up his hands. “Alright,” he conceded. “I realize that this dog means a lot to you.”
“More than you know,” said Mr. Winters. “If it wasn’t for Toby, Charlie would still be on crutches.”
The chief scratched his head as he looked first at Mr. Winters, then at Charlie, and finally at Toby. “I’ll ask some other time,” he muttered. “Listen, I realize what it is to have a dog mean a lot to you. My dog Rex means the world to me. But we are dealing with a madman who must be stopped. Besides, I think Toby wants to go.”
“Are you cracked?” asked Charlie. “He doesn’t even understand what’s going on!”
Toby had never bitten a human in his life. Okay, there was that time he’d attacked Nicholas Carson as a puppy, but he figured Nick barely qualified as a human at all. Anyway, the constant insults to his intelligence were leaving him sorely tempted. Of course he knew what was going on! What did Charlie think he was, dumb or something?
“Listen,” pleaded the chief. “I realize that dogs don’t know what a gun is.”
‘Oh, come on,’ thought Toby. ‘I took a guy with a gun when I was a puppy!’
“But your dog has spent the entire day trying to get my attention. He barged right into my house just this morning.”
“What makes you think he knows a thing about what’s going on?” demanded Charlie.
“I honestly don’t know, but I think if any dog would, it’s him.”
Charlie looked like he had been ready to shout something else, but this last remark took him completely by surprise. “What makes you say that?” he asked.
“I say it because Rex is Toby’s father,” answered the chief.
Charlie scoffed. “You said your dog is a bloodhound. Toby doesn’t look anything like a that!”
“Maybe not, but he is half bloodhound. His mother is a husky, you see.”
“Oh, is that…” Charlie stopped, remembering the time he had met Toby’s mother. “Oh, wait, that’s right.” He glared hard at the chief. “Are you trying to psyche me out or something?”
The chief shook his head, half to say no and half in disbelief that he was all but begging for help from an eight-year-old. “I promise I’m not.”
Charlie sighed. “This is too much for me. Toby, what do you think?”
As much as he respected any good dog, the chief was a little surprised that Charlie was asking Toby’s opinion. Mr. Winters found it a little strange too, but at least he was somewhat used to it. But Charlie had a better understanding of his dog than any other human being. And he knew deep down that Toby understood the question perfectly, even if he doubted that Toby understood the situation.
Toby walked over to the chief and placed a paw on the man’s knee.
Two days later, Toby stood with a full sled team, ready to go track down Bryan Lawrence. Just as the Chief had promised, he would not be part of the team pulling the sled. Instead he would go with them to the place where their quarry had last been seen, and then travel ahead of the group and show them the way to go.
“Hey, Toby!” called Luna. Toby turned to see her walking up to the sled.
“Hi, Luna,” he greeted with somewhat less cheer than usual. Right now, he was thinking about finding the man they were after. “Did you come to see us off?”
“No,” answered Luna. “I’m coming with you.”
Toby’s mouth dropped open. “What?” he asked.
“I’m coming with you,” she repeated. “I’m going to help.”
“No!” said Toby. “You’re staying here. The criminal we’re after is very dangerous.”
Luna stared into his eyes defiantly. “I can handle it if you can.”
“He shot my father. I have to get him.”
Luna opened her mouth to speak, then looked at the other dogs. “Toby, would you come with me for a moment?” she asked.
Toby laid back his ears and shook his head in frustration. “I don’t have time for this,” he said.
“It’s your only chance to convince me not to come.”
With no other option, Toby followed Luna. Once they were a good distance away from the group, he asked, “Now what’s this all about?”
Luna looked him in the face, her eyes full of determination. “I’ve been doing a bit of digging about this guy,” she said. “Do you know why he was in jail?”
“Because he shot someone,” answered Toby. “Which is exactly why-“
“Do you know why he shot someone?” interrupted Luna. “I’ll tell you why. A friend of his was killed on a wolf hunt, and since that day, he swore he’d never give up until every wolf in
“Dad didn’t tell me that,” said Toby.
“He probably didn’t know about it, but I had a hunch it might be important,” said Luna before continuing with her story. “Anyway, the guy he shot was an Eskimo who tried to tell him he shouldn’t be going after the wolves, since they were there first.”
Toby nodded, taking it in.
“Toby, don’t you get it?” asked Luna. “You know I’m part wolf. He’ll be going after my relatives.”
“You’re only one eighth wolf.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m still part wolf. Besides, he’s heading west.”
“So?”
“So, that’s where the Northern Lights Pack lives. My aunt Aleu is the alpha female of that pack, and most of its members are my cousins. My family is in danger.” She stared him right in the eye. “Which is why you can’t stop me from coming with you. Grandpa would go, but he’s sick right now, and anyway he’s getting old even if he won’t admit it. So I’m going in his place.”
“You’re wrong. You are staying here.”
“Not on your life! I’m going and that’s final!”
“Luna, it’s bad enough they’re in danger. And if I see them, I’ll be sure to warn them.”
“They’re not at their usual den. That’s an easy walk from here. The herds move farther away from
“I’ll take my chances. I can’t let you put your life on the line too.”
“You and the others will be in more danger without me!” answered Luna.
Toby tilted his head. “And how’s that?”
If the situation hadn’t been so serious, Luna probably would have been smug. “Like I said, I’ve got wolf blood in me. And I’ve spent a fair amount of time visiting my aunt and her pack. They’ve taught me the Code of the Wolf.”
“The what?”
“The Code of the Wolf. It’s kind of like a universal set of laws all wolves have to follow. Take me with you, and I can help you with any packs you come across.”
Toby shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But the answer is still no.” And he walked back to the sled.
“You are so THICK!” screamed Luna, following him back. “I’ve already told you I’m coming, and that’s that!”
Toby was nearing the end of his patience. “Luna, I can’t take you along. How would it look?”
That caught Luna off guard. “What?”
“You’re a civilian. A bystander. I can’t put you in that kind of danger. And that’s not even taking into account that you’re my girlfriend. The moment you left with me, every gossip in
“Toby, there are bigger things at stake here than our reputations! I know the area you’ll be heading into, or some of it anyway. You need me on this trip!”
“Luna, you’re not coming and that’s that.”
“I’ll fight you if I have to, but I’m coming.”
Toby gritted his teeth. “How did you get to be so darn stubborn?”
“I guess I learned it hanging around with you!” Several of the sled dogs chuckled
At that moment the chief came out of the station. “Alright, boys, let’s get going.”
“Yes, let’s,” Luna agreed.
Toby shook his head and looked at the police dogs who would be staying behind. “Make sure she doesn’t come with us,” he ordered. “I don’t care if you have to put her under house arrest, but make sure she doesn’t come after us. And that goes for anyone else who gets any crazy ideas.”
“Toby!” yelled Luna angrily. She tried to jump onto the sled, but the police dogs seized her by the collar and held her back.
“Luna, this is not a discussion. You’re staying here, out of harm’s way.” He turned and jumped onto the sled. “And don’t worry about us. We’ll be just fine.”
“Only until I catch up to you!” Luna shot back.
The chief cracked his whip. “Mush!” he cried. And the sled pulled away.
Toby spent the remainder of the day alternately resting on the sled or running alongside it. When they stopped for the night Exile came up to him. “Don’t you think you were kind of harsh with Luna?”
Toby shook his head. The same question had been hammering away at his mind all day. “I had to be. She can be very stubborn, and I had no time to argue.” Eager to change the subject, he asked, “How long will it be before we reach the area where he was last seen?”
“About four days’ journey,” said Exile, knowing without asking whom Toby was talking about. “But right now I’d be more worried about other matters.”
“Like what?”
“I thought you had already smelled it.” Exile turned his head, pointing into the woods. “There are wolves nearby.”
‘Wolves,’ thought Toby. ‘That reminds me…’
“Excuse me, Exile,” he said. “I have to check on something.” He sniffed the air, then trotted off in the direction of the wolves.
“Are you crazy?” asked Exile. “You’re heading right toward them!”
“I know,” said Toby as he disappeared. He went a long way into the woods, until he could no longer see or hear or smell the rest of the group. He wasn’t worried about finding his way back; he would follow his own scent. “Northern Lights pack?” he called.
After a moment two wolves appeared from the trees around him. They were so silent he never heard them approach, and they appeared out of nowhere as if they were ghosts. “Who are you,” asked one of them, “that you call our pack by name?”
Toby gulped. “I’m Toby,” he said. “And I’ve come with a warning for you and your leader Aleu.”
The wolves seemed surprised. “How do you know our leader’s name?”
Toby was getting impatient. “I can’t waste time. I must deliver my message and return to my friends at once.”
The two wolves held a hushed discussion. “Very well,” they said at last. “Come with us.”
Toby followed them to a cave. “Aleu,” called one of the wolves. “We have a messenger for you.”
A moment later a brown and gray wolf dog came out of the cave, along with a black and white wolf. The wolf dog had piercing blue eyes with a determined look in them. “Who are you?” she asked.
“My name is Toby, and I have come to warn you and your pack. There is a hunter only four days journey from here who plans to wipe out all the wolves in
“Who asked you to warn us?” asked Aleu.
“Your niece, Luna.”
Aleu seemed interested in this. “You know Luna?”
Toby nodded. “I’ve been her friend since we were pups,” he said. In case Aleu needed further convincing, he added. “I also know Balto, your father.”
“If what you say is true, why didn’t Balto come to warn us himself?” asked the other wolf, whom Toby guessed to be
“Balto’s sick right now,” answered Toby. “And I explicitly ordered Luna not to come for her own safety. You must be on your guard against the hunter. He will stop at nothing.”
“How do you know that?” asked Aleu.
“He shot my father,” answered Toby with a snarl.
“Your father?” asked
“My father’s a bloodhound,” explained Toby. “He was trying to track the man down and capture him.”
Aleu turned to
“Last I knew, he was headed west. He’s already passed here, but he’s a madman, and there’s no telling where he might go.”
“Very well,” said Aleu. “We’ll head for
Aleu smiled gratefully at Toby. “Thank you.” She turned to two of the wolves. “Ruska, Shade, escort Toby back to his team.”
Toby nodded. “Thank you,” he said as the wolves led him away. “And by the way, would you please deliver a message to Luna for me when you get there?”
“What message?”
Toby was reluctant to tell Aleu what he had done. “Tell her I’m sorry about the house arrest.”
Aleu jerked her head back. “House arrest?”
Toby continued on his way out of the cave. “She’ll know what it means.” And with that he left.
Back in
“They’d barely have a shot at catching him even if they didn’t have that runt Toby with them,” he was saying. “With him as their leader, they don’t stand a chance.”
A
“Ha!” sneered Pete. “He’s a mutt. At least his old man is a purebred, even if he is a weakling. What can a runty mutt like Toby do?”
From the back of the room, a voice said, “More than you’re trying to do.”
All heads turned to the back of the room. “Balto!” several dogs gasped.
Balto was looking angrily at Pete through slightly glassy eyes. “I may be sick right now, but I’ve never been sick enough to pick on someone who’s giving it their best shot.” He looked around at the dogs in the room. “I hope you’ve got more sense than to listen to Pete. Toby’s a good dog, and he saved my life once when Steele came back to
As the team drew closer to their destination, Toby grew more and more impatient. His constant shouts of “Hurry up!” and “Pick up the pace!” were annoying, especially when he was shouting from the sled.
Finally Exile yelled over his shoulder, “Hey! We’re doing the best we can already! Any faster and we’ll…”
Right at that moment the sled hit a patch of ice and tipped over. Toby was thrown out of the sled and into a snowdrift. When he succeeded in crawling out, he saw the other dogs sprawled on the ground, tangled up in their harnesses. “Come on, guys, let’s get going,” he said.
Exile dragged himself to his feet, sporting a black eye. “Thanks for asking how we are.”
“Come on,” Toby repeated stubbornly. “We have to get going.” He turned to the sled, expecting to see the chief trying to set it upright. But the chief was not by the sled. He was lying motionless with his head against a tree. “Chief!” Toby cried, running over. He nudged him, trying to get a response. But there was nothing.
“Is he dead?” asked one of the dogs.
Toby held his face close to the chief’s and felt a slow movement of air. “He’s alive,” he reported, “But I don’t know how long he’s got.”
“What are we gonna do?” asked one of the dogs.
Toby looked around. Snow was beginning to fall, and they didn’t have any chance of getting the sled back up. It seemed like a scene from one of the stories he always used to listen to as a puppy. The ones where he would imagine himself as Balto. But he wasn’t Balto now. He was Steele, the dog whose obsession with his job and refusal to accept help had doomed his team. And this time there was no Balto to save the day. He sighed. “We’re going to die out here.”
To Be Continued...
Copyright info to be posted with the next part.