Imagine my surprise when I squinted through the darkness and saw the face of . . . a coon? Yes, it was a raccoon: sharp nose, black mask, beady little eyes, rounded ears. But it wasn’t Fatso. I could see that at a glance. He wasn’t fat, see, and that was a major clue. He appeared to be quite a bit smaller than Fatso and . . . then it hit me like a tub of bricks.
“Eddy? Eddy the Rac? Is that you?”
He dipped his head and waved a paw. “Hi. How’s it going?”
I harked up some more water—and moss and seaweed and two lobsters. “How’s it going? Well, up until about thirty seconds ago, it was going fast—down the drain of life. I was about to get myself drowned by one of your kinfolks.”
“Yeah. That was Bubba. Second cousin. Likes to fight.”
“I noticed. He also likes to cheat.”
“Hates dogs. Never fight Bubba in the water.”
I sat down on the bank and beamed him a stern glare. “That’s great advice, Eddy. Too bad you weren’t around ten minutes ago when it might have done some good.”
“A dog can’t beat him in a water fight.”
“Could we change the subject? The next time I have a chance to fight your lard-tailed cousin in the water, I’ll find something else to do, okay?”
“Sure. No problem.”
“But never mind. You saved my life, Eddy. I don’t know why you did it, but . . .”
“Dead dogs mess up the water hole.”
“. . . but I’m honored that our friendship meant so much to you. I mean, it almost brings tears to my eyes to know that you didn’t want me stinking up your water hole.”
“Right. And I’ve got a deal.”
I stared into his masked face. “What? You’ve got a . . .” I started backing away. “Okay, Eddy, thanks for the help, but nix on the deal. Sorry.”
“Garbage job. Easy work. In and out, no problems.”
“A garbage job? Are you nuts? The last time we pulled a garbage job, well I don’t even want to think about that. Good-bye, Eddy. Thanks again for your help and I’ll see you down the road.” I didn’t wait to hear any more. I turned and ran away from the Voice of Temptation who had done his best to ruin my life.
But then I stopped. “Hey Eddy, one last question, and I want the honest truth.”
“Sure. Go for it.”
“Truthfully, honestly, and earnestly . . . were you the Laundry Monster?”
He chirped a little laugh. “Me?”
“The whole truth, Eddy, no matter how much it hurts. I have to know.”
“Sure. Okay.” He rolled his little hands together. “Nope. Wasn’t me.”
“Just as I thought. Thanks, pal, see you around.”
And that’s about it. Next morning, Slim and Loper found coon tracks around the door of the feed barn and I received the ranch’s highest award for bravery. I had run the Laundry Monster off the ranch and had saved the horse feed from the marauding raccoons. Pretty amazing, huh? You bet it was.
Case closed.
Oh, and that business about me and Eddy eating the horse feed? Ha, ha. Nothing to it. Just a nasty rumor. Don’t forget, I ate a toad. No kidding.
Dogs don’t eat horse feed.
Further Reading
Have you read all of Hank’s adventures?
1 The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
2 The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
3 It’s a Dog’s Life
4 Murder in the Middle Pasture
5 Faded Love
6 Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
7 The Curse of the Incredible Priceless Corncob
8 The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse
9 The Case of the Halloween Ghost
10 Every Dog Has His Day
11 Lost in the Dark Unchanted Forest
12 The Case of the Fiddle-Playing Fox
13 The Wounded Buzzard on Christmas Eve
14 Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business
15 The Case of the Missing Cat
16 Lost in the Blinded Blizzard
17 The Case of the Car-Barkaholic Dog
18 The Case of the Hooking Bull
20 The Phantom in the Mirror
21 The Case of the Vampire Cat
22 The Case of the Double Bumblebee Sting
23 Moonlight Madness
24 The Case of the Black-Hooded Hangmans
25 The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado
26 The Case of the Kidnapped Collie
27 The Case of the Night-Stalking Bone Monster
28 The Mopwater Files
29 The Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper
30 The Case of the Haystack Kitties
31 The Case of the Vanishing Fishhook
32 The Garbage Monster from Outer Space
33 The Case of the Measled Cowboy
34 Slim’s Good-bye
35 The Case of the Saddle House Robbery
36 The Case of the Raging Rottweiler
37 The Case of the Deadly Ha-Ha Game
38 The Fling
39 The Secret Laundry Monster Files
40 The Case of the Missing Bird Dog
41 The Case of the Shipwrecked Tree
42 The Case of the Burrowing Robot
43 The Case of the Twisted Kitty
44 The Dungeon of Doom
45 The Case of the Falling Sky
46 The Case of the Tricky Trap
47 The Case of the Tender Cheeping Chickies
48 The Case of the Monkey Burglar
49 The Case of the Booby-Trapped Pickup
50 The Case of the Most Ancient Bone
51 The Case of the Blazing Sky
52 The Quest for the Great White Quail
53 Drover’s Secret Life
54 The Case of the Dinosaur Birds
55 The Case of the Secret Weapon
56 The Case of the Coyote Invasion
57 The Disappearance of Drover
58 The Case of the Mysterious Voice
59 The Case of the Perfect Dog
60 The Big Question
About the Author and Illustrator
John R. Erickson, a former cowboy, has written numerous books for both children and adults and is best known for his acclaimed Hank the Cowdog series. He lives and works on his ranch in Perryton, Texas, with his family.
Gerald L. Holmes has illustrated numerous cartoons and textbooks in addition to the Hank the Cowdog series. He lives in Perryton, Texas.