Read Online Charlie's Gang by Scilla James - Free Book Online

cottage, drawn even from this distance by the smell of socks, and guessing that by the time she reached there Darren would have taken Andy’s motorbike and gone looking for her. Then she would be free to try and remember the exact way Brian used to drive in his van, and somehow, somehow, find him again.
    Charlie’s gang had gone some way in the opposite direction before Spud challenged Charlie. ‘Why so unfriendly boss? She seemed a sad little dog. Not much of a threat surely?’
    Charlie turned and growled at him. ‘Not much of a threat? Everyone is a threat when you’re at war. And we are at war. I’ve told you that several times. I don’t know what’s happened to you Spud. You’ve gone soft in the head.’
    But inside Charlie was feeling terrible. He was actually a kind dog, and he knew that the way he had treated the lost little terrier was not good enough. He also knew that the reason he’d been horrid in the first place was because she had given him a fright when she’d appeared from behind the tree.
    When was he going to stop being a wimp? Being scared of something can ruin a whole life he said to himself. And he swore that if he ever saw that little terrier again, he would say that he was sorry.

    While Charlie and his gang were making their way home across the fields, and Beattie was setting off to try and find Brian in Birmingham, Dora and Emily were sitting on the wall outside the Featherstone house, studying the Ratcatcher’s Manual (Amateur Edition) together.
    â€˜Dad’s been talking about the farm he’s bought,’ Emily told Dora, ‘and Mum met that old bloke in the village who told her it was a massive rat clearing job that we’d never manage on our own. I want to go there and look at it, but I’m having a problem persuading Mum to take me.’
    They were looking at Chapter 3 of the Manual. It was entitled Serious Rat Infestations in Large Buildings.
    â€˜Here,’ said Emily, ‘it explains that we have to start at the top of the building and drive the rats down to a narrow place where we can get them as they come through. Bash them one I suppose it means. Sounds a bit scary.’
    Dora wondered just how many rats there would be.
    â€˜It’s quite technical,’ Emily went on, ‘it talks about rats per square foot, and how long they’ve lived in wherever it is. Time of year, breeding seasons and so on. A bit complicated.’ She shut the book, ‘I’ll work on Mum.’
    Dora had mixed feelings. She’d never been good at diagrams, and the book had a great many. She did know however, that there was such a thing as too many rats for three terriers. She thought of Charlie and his gang, and wondered whether the other three dogs were any braver than him. He’d be no use whatsoever, handsome or not. She sighed. If only Emily could understand dog language, she could discuss it with her.
    After lunch Mr Featherstone, home for the day, was getting ready to visit his new property. Dora heard him talking to Mrs Featherstone.
    â€˜Mayor Barnsley’s been on the phone,’ he told his wife. ‘Apparently the people in the village are up in arms about my holiday flats. Worried about strangers coming in, and traffic, and burglars and mess and litter and dogs. They can’t cope with change round here. It’s pathetic. What’s the matter with traffic? And I’d like to see some different faces. And maybe if I can get more people and traffic into the village I’ll be able to sell that other site to a nice big supermarket. We could do with a supermarket up against the park, don’t you think?’
    Mrs Featherstone wasn’t sure.
    â€˜Emily! Take that rat book upstairs! I’m sick of the sight of it! Honestly, I wish I’d never got those terriers, and if you keep on thinking about rats all the time, I’ll have to take them back to the Rescue!’
    â€˜Can Dora