The Secret Puppy

Chapter Eight

Barney raced across the bridge, splashing through the water at the end, which was halfway up his legs. The ground sloped up from the river to the tents, but only a little. Snatches of moonlight shone on the dark water that was rising slowly but surely towards Daisy’s pod.

He reached the tent and barked as loud as he could, right outside Daisy’s secret door. He hated this water – it was black and scary, and he didn’t want it anywhere near Daisy.

Inside the tent, Daisy whimpered and turned over in her sleep as she heard Barney. The barking just merged into her dreams, making them even more terribly real. Barney was racing along behind the car as they drove away, barking and barking. He didn’t understand why she wasn’t taking him with her.

Neither did Daisy.

He was out of sight now. Although Daisy was still staring out of the car window, she couldn’t see him at all. So why could she still hear him barking?

Daisy sat up suddenly, clutching her sleeping bag around her. That wasn’t part of her dream! That was actually Barney! He’d come to find her again. Smiling, she unzipped her back door.

“Barney, ssshhh! You’ll wake up Mum and Dad – oh, wow!” Daisy gasped as she saw the flood water rising up towards the tent.

Barney whined crossly. Why was she still sitting there? She needed to get out, and the others too! He darted into her tent pod and grabbed her sleeve in his teeth, pulling her.

“Barney, you came to rescue us!” Daisy whispered, staring at him in amazement. “How did you know? OK, OK.” She reached out to unzip her front door, the one that led into the living area. “Mum! Dad! Oliver! The river’s flooding, we have to get out of the tent!”

“What?” There was a scuffling noise, then the zip opened and Dad’s head appeared round the door.

“It really is! Barney came to tell us, Dad, he’s outside. He barked to wake me up!”

Dad dashed across the living area into Daisy’s pod, and stared out silently for a moment. Then he turned round and dashed back, grabbing his wellies. “I don’t how that dog knew, or how he got here, but it’s lucky he did. Your mum’s just getting dressed. The water will be in the tent any minute. Oliver, up, now! We need to get out of the tent!”

“Where are we going?” Daisy asked, pattering across the living area to grab her wellies and waterproof.

Dad frowned. “The farmhouse. We need to let them know the river’s flooding. I’m sure they’ll find somewhere for us to sleep. And help us get our stuff out too. But I’m going to go and tell the people in the tents closest first.” He hurried out, pulling on his raincoat over his pyjamas as he unzipped the front of the tent.

Barney was standing in the doorway of Daisy’s pod, watching anxiously. He wanted her out of there now, before that black water came any closer.

“He really came to tell you what was happening?” Oliver said, as he struggled out of his pod, still sounding sleepy.

Daisy nodded proudly. “He must have got out of the puppy room again.”

“That’s amazing.” Oliver patted Barney, but he hardly noticed. The water was getting closer and closer. He barked warningly at Daisy, and pulled at the leg of her pyjamas with his teeth.

“He wants you to get out of here,” Mum said appearing from her pod. “Get your boots on, Oliver. We’d better go.”

Daisy patted her leg and stepped outside. “Come on, Barney.”

It was eerie watching the water creeping up the grass towards the tents. Dad had woken up the families in all the tents nearest the water, and they were starting to come out, dressed in boots and waterproofs.

Barney stood in front of Daisy’s tent, looking nervously at the water. They needed to get back across the bridge, but he hated the thought of going across the flooded bank. It would be high up his legs by now. He glanced up at Daisy, her face white in the darkness. She looked scared too. He whined and took a couple of steps towards the bridge. He had to get her to the farmhouse, where she’d be safe.

Dad came hurrying back with his torch. “Good dog. We’re coming now.”

Daisy could hear the other families coming along behind him, the children pointing Barney out as the dog who’d woken everyone up to rescue them.

“Is he your dog?” one of the boys that Oliver played football with asked her admiringly.

Daisy caught her breath, staring hopefully up at her dad. He nodded. “After this, I think he is,” he muttered. “I don’t care how big he’s going to get. He’s a little star.”

“They’re trained to be rescue dogs, aren’t they?” Mum said. “I suppose you can see why. Come on. We’ll work out how we’re going to manage when we’re in the dry.”

Daisy put her hand on Barney’s back. Her puppy’s back. Dad was holding her other hand tightly, as though he didn’t want to let her go.

Barney looked up at Daisy, and splashed forward into the water, head down, determined. He was going to make sure Daisy was safe, even if it meant going back across the river.

“It’s almost coming over the bridge,” Daisy said to Dad.

Dad nodded. “We need to tell them at the farm, fast. Then they can get round in the Land Rover over the other bridge, and make sure everyone’s OK.” He grinned at Daisy as they followed Barney off the bridge, through the water again to the path on the other side. “We’d better tell them we’ve got this little one, as well.”

“And that we’re keeping him?” Daisy said, hesitantly. Had Mum and Dad really meant it?

But her dad nodded. “And that we’re keeping him,” he agreed.

Daisy gripped the thick fur under her fingers even tighter. Barney looked up at her, his ears twitching with relief as they came out of the water at last. Holding his head up high, he set off down the path, leading them all the way to somewhere safe and dry.

“Look!” Daisy pointed further down the path – lights were coming towards them from the farmhouse, and anxious voices were calling. “It must be Julie. They’re coming to get us.”

Dad hugged her. “We’ll have to tell her she’s too late, Daisy. We’ve already been rescued!”

“I still can’t believe the river rose that quickly.” Julie shook her head. “It’s never been that high. We were lucky there were only a few tents close enough to be flooded.”

“Did everyone manage to get their stuff out?” Daisy’s mum asked.

Julie nodded. “It’s all drying in the stables. And most people are heading home today, like you, so they only had one night squashed up in our spare rooms, and the empty holiday cottage. I don’t think we’ll use that end of the field for camping again, though – it could have been so much worse.”

Daisy yawned, leaning against Mum’s arm. She’d spent the rest of last night sleeping on Julie’s living-room floor, wrapped up in spare blankets. She’d let Oliver have the sofa – she wanted Barney next to her, and she didn’t want him to get into bad habits. She wasn’t going to do anything that might put Mum and Dad off.

Barney didn’t look tired at all. His eyes were sparkling, and he kept twisting his head round to look at the collar and lead that Julie had given Daisy for him. She said they’d need them when they stopped to let him out on the way home.

Home! Daisy smiled to herself. She still could hardly believe it. Dad was packing the car now, carefully making a safe space in the boot for Barney. It meant Daisy and Oliver would have loads of bags round their legs, but they didn’t mind.

“I think we’re ready,” Dad said. “Julie, do you reckon he’s got enough room in here?”

Julie looked over. “He should be fine.” She smiled at Daisy. “I’m so glad he’s going home with you. It’s perfect.”

Daisy lifted Barney into the car, patting him gently as she took off his lead. “I can’t believe he’s really ours,” she told Julie, giggling as Barney licked her cheek. “Not just for the holiday, but for ever.”