Chapter Ten

“Well, as you can see, Mindy,” I said, pushing Mindy behind me a little, “dark on the farm is way different than dark in the farmyard.”

“MEOW!!!” Mindy sobbed. “Let’s go home, Boomer.  I want to go inside and lay on Dad’s legs while he watches TV and gets lots of pets.  It’s SCARY out here.”

Just then we heard HOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO. Mindy jumped three feet in the air and yeowel!  “OWL! We have to RUN!”

Mindy started to fling herself out onto the farm road when I quickly put my front left paw down on her back. “NO! Stay right here!” I bayed.

“STAY!”

“I hear an owl, Boomer.  I have to hide, I have to get to the house, I have to get OUT OF HERE!  An Owl tried to get me once, but I got away.  That is why I have my whole right side missing on my mouth. OWL!!!”

Mindy squirmed and wiggled under my paw. Thankfully I had her smashed flat so she couldn’t get those wicked claws up and get my leg.

“I Know, Mindy! I know.  But you are safe right here with me.  You start running crazy and the owl will chase you on very silent wings, swoop down and your gone—up into the sky, then over to their nest where the little owl chicks live.”

Mindy looked at me with terror in her eyes.

“Stay right here, right next to me, and I will get you home.”

Mindy stopped wiggling and sighed.  “Okay, Boomer, my life is in your hands.

“Good.  I can protect you from pretty much everything but a coyote.  If we run into a coyote or three you run as fast as you can for home.  I try to lead them away from you.  But until, or if that time comes, you stick right by me.”

With that Mindy and I started walking.  We have a long way to go, but I feel pretty sure I could get us home.  We have the weeds along the ditch bank to hide in and if we are super lucky, we can crawl into some of the equipment (if we make it that far).

It was about that time, while we were walking next to the ditch, not on the road, but close to it:

Freddy Fox zoomed right in front of us!