After finishing her lessons, Dot has gone to the stables at Dendringham Hall to see Wizzie - and to find out if there's any more news about the ghostly happenings at the Hall... Laetitia is there too, ready to go for a ride - but as she sets off, Angharad the Welsh Terrier rushes out to chase after her!
“COME BACK ‘ERE, YOU!” bellowed Old Josiah.
But he might as well have saved his breath to cool his porridge, as Dot’s Nan Com always says.
Angharad was off – running like the wind, her curly Welsh Terrier beard streaming out beneath her chin, her tail curved over her back, running too hard to growl and snap.
But Hector knew he was being chased - and with a whinny of fear, the beautiful horse’s canter turned into a gallop, with Laetitia keeping her seat, but struggling to hold him back.
Horse, rider and dog vanished from sight as they turned the corner round the front of the hall.
“Dratted Welshies!” said Josiah angrily. “Told Sir Charles they was a bundle of trouble – once they’re off there’s no stopping ‘em! But he had to have one, didn’t he? Best of the terriers, he said.” He shook his head. “Well, he’ll pay for it now, if Miss Laetitia comes off – I’d better get one of the boys after her!”
He turned and stumped back inside the stables, muttering to himself.
“Wouldn’t like to be in that mutt’s shoes when she gets back, no way!” said Mr Mouse. “Well will you look at who’s here! Bone Boy!”
It was Wizzie, with Victor the St Bernard close behind him.
“Wiz!” said Dot. “What’s the matter with Angharad?”
“I don’t know!” said Wizzie anxiously. “We were just having a nap, and then suddenly she stood up, said “THERE it is!” and zoomed out of the stables before we could even ask her!”
Victor shook his head, so that his big jowls on either side of his chin swayed like curtains in a breeze. “You can’t stop her, when she gets like that” he said in his deep voice. “Fearless, she is! And my stars, can she run!”
“There what is again?” asked Dot, feeling very puzzled.
“If you ask me” said Victor “She got a scent. Best tracker I ever met, that girl!”
Then suddenly he rolled onto his back with his legs in the air, and Wiz started butting him in the tummy.
“What’s been happening here, Dorothea? What’s got into Miss Laetitia? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lady going so fast – or a dog, come to that!” said a familiar voice behind Dot.
She jumped and spun round. It was Mr Holmes – which was why Wizzie and Victor had gone straight into “We’re just ordinary dogs playing” mode!
Now… thought Dot… how am I going to do this? Angharad obviously knows something, so we ought to go after her… but how can I get Mr Holmes to follow her too?
And take me along as well, of course!
But almost as soon as she’d thought it, the problem was solved.
“Darn it!” said Old Josiah, coming back out of the stables and looking crosser than ever. “Forgot those dratted boys have got to be off in ‘alf a minute – Sir Charles promised to send ‘em all today to help out over at Locking Manor, what with the hunt being in by there today! What in tarnation am I to do! Someone’s got to get off after Miss Laetitia, and I can’t, not with me gammy leg! Drat that Angharad!”
“Can I help?” said Mr Holmes.
And me, thought Dot! And me me MEEEEE!!!
Old Josiah looked at Mr Holmes doubtfully. “You’ll have to go quite a long ways now to catch up with Hector, sir – ‘ow’s your riding?”
“Good enough, good enough!” said Mr Holmes.
Well… actually… it wasn’t. As they rode out of the grounds of Dendringham Hall on Thunderer, with Dot sitting in front of Mr Holmes in the saddle, the two dogs running ahead tracking Angharad, everything felt very wobbly. She half-wished she hadn’t talked him into taking her along!
Old Josiah had taken some persuading too. But in the end he’d given in.
“Well, I knows your ma and pa wanted you to get some riding, Miss Dorothea” he’d said. “And it’s true enough, I used to ride out with Miss Laetitia herself when she was a-visiting all those years ago, and her no more’n a babby then. You do take care though Mr Holmes, sir!”
“Er… how did you learn to ride, Mr Holmes?” Dot asked, grabbing tighter onto the horse’s mane to stop herself sliding off (again!)
“Oh… I didn’t” said Mr Holmes cheerfully. “I worked out how to do it through careful observation – just like in my detective work!”
“Oh, GREAT” muttered Mr Mouse. “We’re out with a learner rider!”
Yikes, thought Dot. They were now cantering along behind the dogs, close to the woods they’d been in the night before, and everything felt slidier than ever.
“I have high hopes” said Mr Holmes, lurching about behind Dot “of this case! Most interesting!”
YA-ROWLLL! went Victor, and suddenly dashed off to the left, straight through a gap in the trees into the woods. BARKBARKBARK went Wizzie, following close behind him.
“Keep your head down, Dorothea!” shouted Mr Holmes in Dot’s ear, his arms squeezing even more tightly round her as he pulled hard on Thunderer’s reins to follow the two dogs. “One low branch and we’ll both be off!”
Dot closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
And IN they went!!
