Maybe they’re friendly dogs.”
“That’s a sign that they’re excited,” said Jamie. “See how their tails are arched high over their backs and are wagging slowly. If they were being friendly their tailswould be lower and wagging faster.”
“Excited? Is that good?” hissed Toby.
“No, now on the count of three we’re going to shout as loudly as we can, ‘Get lost!’” ordered Jamie, moving closer to the gates. Toby and his dad followed.
“Get lost? That’s it?”
“Yes, now … one — two — three!”
“GET LOST!” they all shouted together as loudly as they could.
The dogs threw back their heads and, rearing up, turned on their haunches and ran away.
“Keep shouting!” said Jamie.
“GET LOST! GET LOST! GET LOST! GET LOST!” they screamed at the retreating backs of the dogs.
“Couldn’t we just have thrown something at them to make them go away?” asked Toby’s dad, as they made their way back to the compound.
“Well, that would have driven them away from the gates for now, but they wouldn’t have connected stuff that came randomly flying through the air with you. Standing your ground and showing them that you weren’t frightened of them was a much better way of giving the message that this is your territory.”
“I hope you’re right, Jamie,” said Toby’s dad. “Come on, let’s lock up for the night, and go and get some tea.”
“I’ll come inside in a few minutes. I just need to letBelle out and feed her,” yelled Jamie as he headed for Belle’s shed in the compound.
“What if they come back?” Toby asked his dad.
“We’ve checked the fencing — it’s strong. We’re safe here. They can’t get in, and why would they want to? We’ve no fresh food, and everything in tins and packets is well hidden, so they can’t have smelt that.”
“No, but they would have smelt the chickens, and …” Toby watched as Belle raced around the yard after a ball that Jamie had thrown for her. He pointed to the large white dog, “… Belle.”
I’ve a feeling those dogs will be back. And next time, shouting at them will be useless.
12. A Betrayal
A summer storm got up that night and whipped the village with a frenzied wind. Toby lay in his bed listening to the wailing and moaning of the gusts swirling around the lighthouse. Far below he could hear the crashing of waves breaking on the shore and on the rocks of the promontory. Nearby, in the room below, he heard his dad singing his mum’s lullaby to Sylvie, in a sweet sing-song voice he only used with her.
Toby thought about the dogs. They had been so like the dogs in his nightmare, it was scary. What if he’d had some premonition? What if the nightmare was going to come true?
Go to sleep , he told himself, turning over. That’s mad. You’re supposed to be a logical thinker — an engineer. It’s just rubbish about dreams and that …
He fell to sleep thinking about how great it would be to go to university and learn to be a real engineer, like his dad had been.
Woof! A deep bark woke him from his sleep. Belle was standing next to his bed. Woof, woof! She placed her paw on the duvet and scratched it back and forwards.
Toby sat up. It couldn’t be that late; his candle was still sputtering in the night jar beside his bed.
“What are you doing here? You should be in your kennel,” he said, yawning. The storm was still raging outside. The wind was tearing at the wooden shutters at his window, banging them back and forth.
“Come on,” ordered Toby. “Let’s take you back to Jamie. Downstairs with you!” He pulled an old hoodie on over his jammies, and crept down the stairs.
There was no sign of Jamie. He should have been asleep on the sofa but it was empty. Toby raced back up the stairs to the lamp room. That was the only other place he could be. The lamp room was full of the noise of the howling wind but there was no sign of Jamie.
He’s not gone outside, surely? Not in this weather? And why did he
“That’s a sign that they’re excited,” said Jamie. “See how their tails are arched high over their backs and are wagging slowly. If they were being friendly their tailswould be lower and wagging faster.”
“Excited? Is that good?” hissed Toby.
“No, now on the count of three we’re going to shout as loudly as we can, ‘Get lost!’” ordered Jamie, moving closer to the gates. Toby and his dad followed.
“Get lost? That’s it?”
“Yes, now … one — two — three!”
“GET LOST!” they all shouted together as loudly as they could.
The dogs threw back their heads and, rearing up, turned on their haunches and ran away.
“Keep shouting!” said Jamie.
“GET LOST! GET LOST! GET LOST! GET LOST!” they screamed at the retreating backs of the dogs.
“Couldn’t we just have thrown something at them to make them go away?” asked Toby’s dad, as they made their way back to the compound.
“Well, that would have driven them away from the gates for now, but they wouldn’t have connected stuff that came randomly flying through the air with you. Standing your ground and showing them that you weren’t frightened of them was a much better way of giving the message that this is your territory.”
“I hope you’re right, Jamie,” said Toby’s dad. “Come on, let’s lock up for the night, and go and get some tea.”
“I’ll come inside in a few minutes. I just need to letBelle out and feed her,” yelled Jamie as he headed for Belle’s shed in the compound.
“What if they come back?” Toby asked his dad.
“We’ve checked the fencing — it’s strong. We’re safe here. They can’t get in, and why would they want to? We’ve no fresh food, and everything in tins and packets is well hidden, so they can’t have smelt that.”
“No, but they would have smelt the chickens, and …” Toby watched as Belle raced around the yard after a ball that Jamie had thrown for her. He pointed to the large white dog, “… Belle.”
I’ve a feeling those dogs will be back. And next time, shouting at them will be useless.
12. A Betrayal
A summer storm got up that night and whipped the village with a frenzied wind. Toby lay in his bed listening to the wailing and moaning of the gusts swirling around the lighthouse. Far below he could hear the crashing of waves breaking on the shore and on the rocks of the promontory. Nearby, in the room below, he heard his dad singing his mum’s lullaby to Sylvie, in a sweet sing-song voice he only used with her.
Toby thought about the dogs. They had been so like the dogs in his nightmare, it was scary. What if he’d had some premonition? What if the nightmare was going to come true?
Go to sleep , he told himself, turning over. That’s mad. You’re supposed to be a logical thinker — an engineer. It’s just rubbish about dreams and that …
He fell to sleep thinking about how great it would be to go to university and learn to be a real engineer, like his dad had been.
Woof! A deep bark woke him from his sleep. Belle was standing next to his bed. Woof, woof! She placed her paw on the duvet and scratched it back and forwards.
Toby sat up. It couldn’t be that late; his candle was still sputtering in the night jar beside his bed.
“What are you doing here? You should be in your kennel,” he said, yawning. The storm was still raging outside. The wind was tearing at the wooden shutters at his window, banging them back and forth.
“Come on,” ordered Toby. “Let’s take you back to Jamie. Downstairs with you!” He pulled an old hoodie on over his jammies, and crept down the stairs.
There was no sign of Jamie. He should have been asleep on the sofa but it was empty. Toby raced back up the stairs to the lamp room. That was the only other place he could be. The lamp room was full of the noise of the howling wind but there was no sign of Jamie.
He’s not gone outside, surely? Not in this weather? And why did he
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