Otis The Wolf, parts 1194 - 1197

1194. Assuming the dog belonged to the Boy he offered to take the dangerous animal off his hands. He suggested the dog be left with him for the time being, and at the same time told the boy to talk to his parents about it. He was willing to take care of the problem at no charge. As he said all of this he reached into the boy's bag and began extracting one of the studded goat collars. It was his attention to chain up Otis right then and there.

1195. Otis only had an indistinct notion of what the conversation was about. He had been acting the spy for a few months and so, like a tourist in a foreign country he was only familiar with a few of the most often used words and phrases. But when the old vet took a firm hold of the fur of his neck in preparation of putting a collar on him he understood in a flash that something was going wrong, but he was smart enough to get out of the situation without giving away his identity.

1196. Otis leaped away from the vet and then ran to a spot out in the yard and pretended to be engaged in attacking a mouse he had discovered. What tame house dog can resist the temptation to run around in circles chasing a mouse or a mole. This ruse deceived the vet and the Boy also, and the imaginary mouse managed to doge away from Otis in mouse like zig-zag patterns across the lawn and into the woods. Once in the woods the mouse vanished, and so did Otis.

1197. The Boy went into the woods as if to retrieve his dog for the vet, but he had no intention of returning that afternoon, and if it were possible, ever again. Otis was out of danger for the moment, but what possible way could the Boy avoid the problem of the curious vet? Well, it didn't matter because things were going to go from bad to worse, and then end in disaster.