several hours earlier in the garage.
“ ‘We don't condone any private citizen taking it upon himself to capture a wild animal,' Officer Lou Hanson said. ‘Cougars are dangerous, and although they usually live solitary lives and keep their distance from humans, more and more wild animals are roaming closer to towns as man encroaches on their natural habitat. Cougars, of course, are rare in West Virginia, and it's possible that this one was owned by someone who had no license to harbor a wild animal and who did not want to notify authorities when the cougar escaped. We're just grateful that the ordeal is over and no one was hurt, but we've got to give the kids credit for quick thinking.' ”
Mr. Hatford, however, wasn't about to credit anybody. Now that his son was safely home again, he thought of all that might have happened.
“Wally, what were you thinking ?” he demanded.
“That I was about to die,” Wally answered simply.
“The cougar could have killed you! Maimed you forever!” Mr. Hatford looked around the table at his three oldest sons. “I don't know whether to ground you for a month or send the whole lot of you to Siberia!”
It was Jake who showed quick thinking now. “How about if we put in ten hours at the police station, mopping floors or washing windows or whatever they need us to do?” he suggested. Any thing was better than being grounded.
“Sold!” said his father. “I'll tell them you're coming. But what I don't understand is if you boys were going to try a cockeyed stunt like that, why Wally? Why not one of you older boys?”
“We drew names,” said Jake, “and Wally got picked.”
Mrs. Hatford suddenly swooped down and put her arms around Wally as he took another bite of Cocoa Puffs. “Oh, Wally, if anything had happened to you, I don't know what I would have done,” she murmured. “I'd miss you so much!”
Wally stared straight ahead as she planted a kiss on his cheek and his brothers giggled. She'd miss him? She would actually miss him? She almost sounded as though she'd miss him more than anyone else in the family.
Mr. and Mrs. Benson arrived shortly after that, havingheard the early-morning news. Mrs. Benson was still in her slippers.
“My gracious, is everyone all right?” she cried.
“We put them together for five days, Tom, and look what happens!” said Mr. Benson, giving each of his sons a grateful hug. “They're in the newspaper. On the radio! TV! The works!”
“TV?” yelped Danny delightedly.
“It was on the early news, and they'll repeat it again at eight-thirty,” said his mother.
“Well, I'm staying home from work today, so I'll see it too!” Mrs. Hatford turned on the TV and they watched six commercials before the local news was repeated.
“The cougar captured yesterday in the garage at six-eleven Island Avenue has been checked over by wildlife experts and is on its way to a remote area of the Smoky Mountains, where it will be set free,” the commentator said. “Its capture was part of a scheme by twelve local children to trap the animal, and though things didn't go quite according to plan, the cougar was locked in the garage long enough for animal control officials to tranquilize it and remove it from the premises. Buckman salutes the twelve plucky kids who hatched the scheme, but the final word from the mayor is, ‘It's okay this time, but don't let it happen again.' ”
“Can we go to the Malloys' now?” Steve asked. “We want to show them the newspaper.”
“The Malloys read newspapers too, you know,” Mr. Benson said. “Why don't we take all you kids to the movies?”
“We'd really rather see the Malloys,” said Tony.
“Then yes, by all means, go !” Mrs. Hatford said, glancing at the continuing rain outside the window. And then, to Mr. and Mrs. Benson, she added, “They are so wired this morning, I won't be able to keep them in the house. Please stay and visit—we can have the kitchen all to ourselves.”
Grabbing their
“ ‘We don't condone any private citizen taking it upon himself to capture a wild animal,' Officer Lou Hanson said. ‘Cougars are dangerous, and although they usually live solitary lives and keep their distance from humans, more and more wild animals are roaming closer to towns as man encroaches on their natural habitat. Cougars, of course, are rare in West Virginia, and it's possible that this one was owned by someone who had no license to harbor a wild animal and who did not want to notify authorities when the cougar escaped. We're just grateful that the ordeal is over and no one was hurt, but we've got to give the kids credit for quick thinking.' ”
Mr. Hatford, however, wasn't about to credit anybody. Now that his son was safely home again, he thought of all that might have happened.
“Wally, what were you thinking ?” he demanded.
“That I was about to die,” Wally answered simply.
“The cougar could have killed you! Maimed you forever!” Mr. Hatford looked around the table at his three oldest sons. “I don't know whether to ground you for a month or send the whole lot of you to Siberia!”
It was Jake who showed quick thinking now. “How about if we put in ten hours at the police station, mopping floors or washing windows or whatever they need us to do?” he suggested. Any thing was better than being grounded.
“Sold!” said his father. “I'll tell them you're coming. But what I don't understand is if you boys were going to try a cockeyed stunt like that, why Wally? Why not one of you older boys?”
“We drew names,” said Jake, “and Wally got picked.”
Mrs. Hatford suddenly swooped down and put her arms around Wally as he took another bite of Cocoa Puffs. “Oh, Wally, if anything had happened to you, I don't know what I would have done,” she murmured. “I'd miss you so much!”
Wally stared straight ahead as she planted a kiss on his cheek and his brothers giggled. She'd miss him? She would actually miss him? She almost sounded as though she'd miss him more than anyone else in the family.
Mr. and Mrs. Benson arrived shortly after that, havingheard the early-morning news. Mrs. Benson was still in her slippers.
“My gracious, is everyone all right?” she cried.
“We put them together for five days, Tom, and look what happens!” said Mr. Benson, giving each of his sons a grateful hug. “They're in the newspaper. On the radio! TV! The works!”
“TV?” yelped Danny delightedly.
“It was on the early news, and they'll repeat it again at eight-thirty,” said his mother.
“Well, I'm staying home from work today, so I'll see it too!” Mrs. Hatford turned on the TV and they watched six commercials before the local news was repeated.
“The cougar captured yesterday in the garage at six-eleven Island Avenue has been checked over by wildlife experts and is on its way to a remote area of the Smoky Mountains, where it will be set free,” the commentator said. “Its capture was part of a scheme by twelve local children to trap the animal, and though things didn't go quite according to plan, the cougar was locked in the garage long enough for animal control officials to tranquilize it and remove it from the premises. Buckman salutes the twelve plucky kids who hatched the scheme, but the final word from the mayor is, ‘It's okay this time, but don't let it happen again.' ”
“Can we go to the Malloys' now?” Steve asked. “We want to show them the newspaper.”
“The Malloys read newspapers too, you know,” Mr. Benson said. “Why don't we take all you kids to the movies?”
“We'd really rather see the Malloys,” said Tony.
“Then yes, by all means, go !” Mrs. Hatford said, glancing at the continuing rain outside the window. And then, to Mr. and Mrs. Benson, she added, “They are so wired this morning, I won't be able to keep them in the house. Please stay and visit—we can have the kitchen all to ourselves.”
Grabbing their
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