Free Dunc and Amos Go to the Dogs by Gary Paulsen Page B

decorator.”
    “What was that?” Dunc was just coming through the door carrying a soiled newspaper from one of the dog cages.
    “Nothing. I was just saying—ooohh, gross! You’re supposed to throw the used ones in the trash. That’s disgusting.”
    “I was changing the paper in Martha’s cage when I noticed this article. Listen tothis headline: ‘Police are still baffled by dog-nappings.’ ”
    “Why would the police care about a few sleepy dogs?”
    “No, Amos. Not napping dogs. Dog-nappings. It means someone is going around stealing dogs. The article says the thief only goes for purebreds. So far he’s taken a Saint Bernard puppy, a beagle, a couple of Dobermans, a shepherd, and a cocker spaniel.”
    “Hey, I wonder if the thief would be interested in a border collie. I just happen to have one up for grabs.”
    “This isn’t funny, Amos. Someone is taking people’s pets. The lady who lost the spaniel is offering a big reward.”
    “How big is big?”
    “Two hundred and fifty dollars.”
    “You’re right, Dunc. This is serious. If we could find that poor lady’s dog, we’d be rolling in dough.”

“What a way to spend an afternoon! First I spend most of the morning cleaning up doggy doo-doo, then I’m attacked by a savage beast, my skull is nearly split wide open, and now—”
    Dunc pedaled his bike up even with Amos. “Now we need to check on a lead. How else are we going to get that reward?”
    “I know, but do we have to talk to old Doc Woods? They say he’s too old to still be alive. And besides, he acts weird.”
    “Amos, I’m ashamed of you. Doc Woods is our best shot for getting some answers.For years he was the only veterinarian in town, and sometimes they still ask him to help out at those fancy dog shows. If anybody knows anything about these missing dogs, I bet it’s him.”
    Amos coasted his bike into the driveway of an old two-story house. They could hear dogs barking in the ground floor. He looked back at Dunc. “And that’s another thing. Who in their right mind would run a kennel right in their house?”
    Dunc put out his kickstand. “People say it’s because he loves animals. He hates to see them mistreated or abandoned, so he takes them to live with him.”
    “From the sound of it, he must have half the dog population in town living with him right now.”
    Dunc pressed the doorbell.
    The weathered old door creaked open. “Come in. Come in.” A little man with a cane in one hand and a sleek brown ferret in the other motioned them inside.
    The ferret bared its teeth and made ahissing noise at Amos. “Now stop that, Toby. We don’t want our guests to think they’re unwelcome.” The man let the ferret run down his arm and out of the room. “Don’t mind Toby. He forgets his manners sometimes. We’re not used to visitors.”
    Then, without another word the little man tottered down a long hall and disappeared. Dunc looked at Amos and shrugged. In a few minutes he was back.
    But he wasn’t alone.
    Doc Woods was carrying a giant boa constrictor on his shoulders. It looked bigger than he was. “Sorry to keep you waiting, boys. It’s Cynthia’s feeding time. She’s a wonderful girl, but she tends to get a little cranky if she’s not fed regularly.”
    Amos stepped behind Dunc. “What exactly does Cynthia eat?”
    Doc Woods stroked Cynthia’s back. She raised her head, obviously enjoying the attention. “Wild boas are capable of swallowing very large animals. They hang from trees and wait for unsuspecting victims.Their teeth turn inward, so once they capture something, their prey has no chance of escape.”
    Amos swallowed hard and started inching backward toward the door.
    “But in Cynthia’s case,” Doc Woods continued, “she has grown accustomed to a more domesticated diet. She mostly eats rats and an occasional mouse or two.”
    Amos let out a sigh of relief. “Way to go, Cynthia.”
    “If you boys will excuse me, I’ll only be a couple of