“Hey, what’s that?” her dad asked, pointing at a flash of blue amongst a mass of twisted roots.
“His lead! That’s Toby’s lead!” Ruby’s heart jumped wildly as she scrabbled for it, hoping that she might find Toby curled up fast asleep at the other end. He did sleep very deeply sometimes; he might not have heard them calling.
But all she found on the end of the lead was Toby’s collar.
“Oh, Toby…” she whispered.
“He must have slipped it off,” Dad said grimly. “Oh well, at least we know he was here. Come on, let’s keep looking. We’ve got about another half-hour before it’s completely dark.”
Ruby swallowed as she looked around at the massive, hulking trees. There were holes and hiding places all over the wood, and it was getting darker by the minute, the light leaking away. She was scared, and she was with Dad.
And if she was scared, Ruby couldn’t help thinking, as they hurried deeper into the trees, how frightened must Toby be, all alone?
Chapter Six
“I wish I knew what your name was,” the man said to Toby, as he carried him down the lane and back towards the town. “I suppose I’m going to have to keep calling you pup. I’m Jake, by the way,” he added, smiling down at Toby, who was curled into his elbow, watching everything they passed with anxious eyes. “And we’re going back to my place, just for a bit, and then we’ll take you to the shelter. Then hopefully your owners will come and find you…”
Toby glanced up at Jake’s face, his ears flattening a little. There was a worried tone to the man’s voice again, and he didn’t like it.
“Yes, I know. No one would leave you behind on purpose, surely…” He sighed. “Anyway, we’re nearly home. You’re going to meet Mickey.” He laughed. “Mickey’s going to get a shock when he sees you. I only went out for a quick jog.”
He searched in the pockets of his tracksuit trousers for the keys, as they came up to a little white-painted house. Toby leaned forward, listening intently. He could hear the clicking of claws on a hard floor, and a curious snuffling. There was another dog in there! It had to be the one that the man smelled of. He shifted a little nervously in Jake’s arms. Usually he barked and barked at other dogs, but then he’d been with Ruby. Toby wanted everyone to know that she was his, and he was looking after her and Anya.
As the door swung open, a golden-brown head peered slowly round it, and stared suspiciously up at Toby.
“Hey, boy. I’ve brought a visitor. Don’t panic, I don’t think he’s staying that long.” Jake tucked Toby tightly under his arm, and crouched down to make a big fuss of his old golden retriever, murmuring a stream of reassuring words.
“It’s lucky you’re such a good boy, Mickey. You’re not jealous. The pup’s lost, poor little thing. We’re going to help him get back home, that’s all.”
Mickey eyed Toby thoughtfully, as the dachshund puppy stared back. Then he wagged his long, feathery tail a couple of times, very slowly, and turned round, pacing back towards the kitchen and his cushion.
“You’re going to have to be gentle with Mickey,” Jake told Toby. “He’s an old gentleman. Twelve years old, and he’s a bit lame now. Don’t go teasing him!” He put Toby down, watching carefully to see how he and Mickey were going to get along. Jake knew Mickey was really gentle, but he wasn’t used to having other dogs in his house.
Toby looked around nervously, and then sidled after Jake as he headed into the kitchen, too.
“I know there’s a leaflet from Oakley Shelter here somewhere. I was going to send them some money…” Jake muttered, searching through a pile of papers. “And now I’m sending them a sausage dog instead!” He pulled out a leaflet covered in photos of dogs. “Ah, good. You two all right?” He looked down at Mickey, now curled up in his basket. Toby was sniffing thoroughly round the kitchen cupboards, and keeping his distance from the bigger dog. “OK. Let’s call them.” He tapped in the number, and then sighed. “I might’ve known. It’s six o’clock already. No one’s answering the phone.” He put the phone back in its cradle slowly, and stared at Toby. “Now what do we do with you, pup? We’d better feed you, I suppose. That cereal bar won’t keep you going for long.”
He fetched a small bowl out of a cupboard, and put it down a little way from Mickey’s big dog bowl, then poured food into both of them from a huge bag.
Toby flung himself at it as though he was starved, and gulped it down.
“Hopefully senior dog mixture won’t do you any harm this once,” Jake murmured, watching with a smile as Toby gobbled the dry food. “Let’s get you some water as well.”
Toby finished his food, and had a long drink of water. Then he watched Mickey, who was still slowly eating his bowlful. He edged a little closer, and Mickey turned round and gave him a very meaningful stare. Don’t come near my dinner.
Toby wriggled backwards on his bottom, and then scuttled under the kitchen table until Mickey had finished and paced back to his bed for an after-dinner snooze.
“You need to be a bit careful, pup,” Jake told him, stroking his head. “Mickey’s a lot bigger than you, and this is his house.”
But Toby was a naturally confident little dog, and he didn’t really understand how small he was, either. He was starting to feel a bit more at home now, and he pranced up to Mickey, and eyed the bigger dog with his head on one side.
Mickey stared back, his muzzle resting on the edge of his cushion. He was a beautiful tawny golden colour, but his coat was turning silvery now, all around his mouth and eyes. He yawned, showing his very large teeth, and Toby took a step back again, looking a bit more respectful.
Even the teeth didn’t stop him for long, though. Toby wasn’t used to being ignored, and he didn’t like it. He pattered right up to Mickey, and yapped sharply at him.
Mickey laid his ears back. The strange little dog was barking at him now, when he was trying to sleep.
Jake took a few steps closer. He trusted Mickey, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
Toby wagged his tail excitedly and barked again, even louder, wanting to get a reaction out of the bigger dog.
Mickey looked over at Jake, his eyes wide, as if he was saying, Rescue me from this thing! But Jake only watched, smiling a little.
Toby crept closer, head down with his front paws flat against the kitchen floor, yapping and whining, his tail wagging. He was starting to enjoy this now. Maybe the big dog was scared of him!
Mickey huffed out a deep, irritable breath, and stood up, towering over the cheeky puppy. He put out a massive golden paw, and stood on one of Toby’s too-long dachshund ears.
Toby wriggled and whined, but Mickey had him pinned. It was a clear message. This is my house. You do as you’re told.
The puppy rolled over – as far as he could with Mickey holding his ear down – waving his paws in the air to show he gave in, and at last Mickey removed his paw. Toby stayed on his back, showing off his tummy apologetically, until Mickey sat down in his bed.
Finally, Toby turned over and wriggled forwards, creeping closer to the cushion as Mickey watched him. At the edge of the cushion, the puppy looked up hopefully, and the old dog nuzzled him. With a pleased little squeak, Toby hustled on to the cushion, and sat down next to Mickey. He did keep glancing up at the big dog, though, making sure he wasn’t about to get the ear treatment again.