him into the frigid water below. He'd
managed to clamber atop a large piece of wood and had hoped for rescue.
The tiny pig crawled onto Carole's lap and sighed contentedly, as if certain she'd figure a
way out of this latest trouble. She looked down and breathed out a gigantic sigh of her own.
"Unfortunately, those dogs are the least of our worries, Runt. A lot has happened since you left,
an awful lot."
"Reet?"
"Well, for one, I ran into that howling creature we heard the other night."
"Wreeeeet?!" Runt jumped up.
"Yes, the werewolf, but don't worry. He won't bother us again, or anyone else for
that matter."
Wide-eyed, the pig stared at Carole.
"Oh it's not what you're thinking. I had plenty of help. The problem is where that help
came from and where we're likely to end up, before long."
Runt scrunched his snout.
"I know I'm not making a whole lot of sense, but explanations will have to wait. Right
now we've got to figure out a way to lose those dogs."
Carole walked over to the window. The dogs were still milling about the meadow.
"They're certainly in no hurry to leave, and we can't afford to wait around here forever. Not to
mention our supply of wood won't last much longer." She went to the back of the cabin and
peered through a gap, close to ground level. The forest was barely ten feet away. "You know
what might work?"
"Ret?"
Runt trotted over and watched as Carole tested the strength of the board atop the gap.
The wood moved encouragingly. She studied the board closer. "Just that one nail. Of course the
real trick is keeping those dogs from figuring out what were doing." She picked up her
jackknife.
"Rit?"
"By you keeping a lookout. Go stick your eye against a knothole and let me know if any
of them get too close."
Carole dug at the wood around the nail. It wasn't particularly difficult work, though she
was grateful when the board finally popped free of the wall. Swinging it aside, she stuck her
head and shoulders through the opening. "Tight fit, but I think it's a go." She pulled herself back
inside and replaced the board.
She went to the window. "Good. It looks like those dogs are going to settle in for the
night. Let's catch some shuteye ourselves. Hopefully we'll be long gone before they even realize.
Get me up a couple hours before sunrise, will ya Runt? I'm beat."
It seemed only minutes later when Carole pushed the pig's snout from her face. "All
right already," she grouched, blinking sand from her eyes. She got up stiffly and stumbled over
to the window. A number of lumps were silhouetted against the moonlit meadow.
"Okay." She yawned, grabbed her gear, and winced at the fresh blisters on her fingers.
"We'll move straight into the forest for fifty yards before cutting back to the path. Let's go, quiet
as field mice."
She pulled the board free, crawled through the opening and froze.
Two dogs were sleeping against the back corner of the shack. Sentries!
Before she could even think about what to do next, their noses began to twitch. A
moment later, they opened their eyes and bared their teeth.
"Reverse!" She backed into Runt.
"So much for plan A." She replaced the board and leaned back against the wall. "Guess
we do things the hard way."
The graying light of predawn found Runt and Carole peeking through the open doorway
of the cabin. "We'll go straight for that main group of dogs sleeping over by the well," she
whispered. "Hopefully we won't need them, but I'll hold onto a few branches, just in case.
Ready?"
He nodded.
Carole slipped on her rucksack and pulled at the straps until they dug into her shoulders.
"All right." She squatted low and motioned to Runt.
The pig leapt. He landed solidly on top of the pack with his hind legs straddling Carole's
neck and his front paws gripping her forehead.
"Umph! You been munching rocks, you porker?" She shifted pack and pig until her load
was balanced, and then pulled as many flaming branches from the fire as she could hold. Using
her staff for
managed to clamber atop a large piece of wood and had hoped for rescue.
The tiny pig crawled onto Carole's lap and sighed contentedly, as if certain she'd figure a
way out of this latest trouble. She looked down and breathed out a gigantic sigh of her own.
"Unfortunately, those dogs are the least of our worries, Runt. A lot has happened since you left,
an awful lot."
"Reet?"
"Well, for one, I ran into that howling creature we heard the other night."
"Wreeeeet?!" Runt jumped up.
"Yes, the werewolf, but don't worry. He won't bother us again, or anyone else for
that matter."
Wide-eyed, the pig stared at Carole.
"Oh it's not what you're thinking. I had plenty of help. The problem is where that help
came from and where we're likely to end up, before long."
Runt scrunched his snout.
"I know I'm not making a whole lot of sense, but explanations will have to wait. Right
now we've got to figure out a way to lose those dogs."
Carole walked over to the window. The dogs were still milling about the meadow.
"They're certainly in no hurry to leave, and we can't afford to wait around here forever. Not to
mention our supply of wood won't last much longer." She went to the back of the cabin and
peered through a gap, close to ground level. The forest was barely ten feet away. "You know
what might work?"
"Ret?"
Runt trotted over and watched as Carole tested the strength of the board atop the gap.
The wood moved encouragingly. She studied the board closer. "Just that one nail. Of course the
real trick is keeping those dogs from figuring out what were doing." She picked up her
jackknife.
"Rit?"
"By you keeping a lookout. Go stick your eye against a knothole and let me know if any
of them get too close."
Carole dug at the wood around the nail. It wasn't particularly difficult work, though she
was grateful when the board finally popped free of the wall. Swinging it aside, she stuck her
head and shoulders through the opening. "Tight fit, but I think it's a go." She pulled herself back
inside and replaced the board.
She went to the window. "Good. It looks like those dogs are going to settle in for the
night. Let's catch some shuteye ourselves. Hopefully we'll be long gone before they even realize.
Get me up a couple hours before sunrise, will ya Runt? I'm beat."
It seemed only minutes later when Carole pushed the pig's snout from her face. "All
right already," she grouched, blinking sand from her eyes. She got up stiffly and stumbled over
to the window. A number of lumps were silhouetted against the moonlit meadow.
"Okay." She yawned, grabbed her gear, and winced at the fresh blisters on her fingers.
"We'll move straight into the forest for fifty yards before cutting back to the path. Let's go, quiet
as field mice."
She pulled the board free, crawled through the opening and froze.
Two dogs were sleeping against the back corner of the shack. Sentries!
Before she could even think about what to do next, their noses began to twitch. A
moment later, they opened their eyes and bared their teeth.
"Reverse!" She backed into Runt.
"So much for plan A." She replaced the board and leaned back against the wall. "Guess
we do things the hard way."
The graying light of predawn found Runt and Carole peeking through the open doorway
of the cabin. "We'll go straight for that main group of dogs sleeping over by the well," she
whispered. "Hopefully we won't need them, but I'll hold onto a few branches, just in case.
Ready?"
He nodded.
Carole slipped on her rucksack and pulled at the straps until they dug into her shoulders.
"All right." She squatted low and motioned to Runt.
The pig leapt. He landed solidly on top of the pack with his hind legs straddling Carole's
neck and his front paws gripping her forehead.
"Umph! You been munching rocks, you porker?" She shifted pack and pig until her load
was balanced, and then pulled as many flaming branches from the fire as she could hold. Using
her staff for
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