The Case of the Wandering Goats

By John Erickson and Gerald L. Holmes

Everyone knows that a cowboy will rope anything that moves: cows, dogs, cats, bales of hay, unsuspecting fellow-cowboys… So, when some local goats escape their pen and turn up near Wolf Creek, Deputy Kile knows just who to ask to help him round them up: Slim Chance. Hank and Slim spring into action and go in search of the lost goats, but they could never have foreseen the dangers and surprises they’d face in the course of this rodeo rescue mission. Who is this mysterious and majestic sheep-king and his subjects that Hank finds? And, if they aren’t the little show-goats Deputy Kile described, what are they doing on the ranch? This may not be Hank’s first rodeo, but it’s certainly the strangest!

• Language: English
• Publisher: MAVERICK BOOKS INC
• Release date: Mar 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781591887690

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The Case of the Wandering Goats

John R. Erickson

Illustrations by Gerald L. Holmes

Maverick Books, Inc.

Publication Information

MAVERICK BOOKS

Published by Maverick Books, Inc.

P.O. Box 549, Perryton, TX 79070

Phone: [phone]

www.hankthecowdog.com

Published in the United States of America by Maverick Books, Inc., 2017

Copyright © John R. Erickson, 2017

All rights reserved

Maverick Books, Inc. Paperback ISBN: 978-1-59188-169-8

Hank the Cowdog® is a registered trademark of John R. Erickson.

Printed in the United States of America

Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Dedication

Dedicated to the grandchildren of George and Dana Clay: Jake Naus, Logan Clay, Avery Clay, Luke Naus, Lottie Clay

Contents

Chapter One - The Monkey Pirates

Chapter Two - Police At the Door

Chapter Three - The Battle of the Boots

Chapter Four - A Mysterious Buzzard Wing

Chapter Five - Another Misunderstanding With Sally May

Chapter Six - Locked in a Dungy Dingeon!

Chapter Seven - I Arrest an Intruder

Chapter Eight - I Bust Out of Jail

Chapter Nine - Machinegun Fire!

Chapter Ten - I Meet King Aouda

Chapter Eleven - Roping Fools

Chapter Twelve - I Rescue the Goats

Chapter One: The Monkey Pirates

It’s me again, Hank the Cowdog. It was a gloomy, dark night in May, as I recall. Yes, it was May, and as I paced the deck, I noted the location of every star. They were all overhead in the sky.

I felt uneasy. This was no ordinary gang of pirates we were after, but a crew of monkey pirates under the command of the notorious Captain Gooey Louie. They had captured a shipload of boiled turkey necks, and had spread fear up and down the coast of Menudo.

I was commanding a three-masted man-of-war, HMS Whickerbill, and the Admiralty had sent us around the Cape of Good Honk in pursuit of the pirates. My orders were to engage them in combat, eat the cargo, and sink the ship.

I made my way across the creaking deck and joined the young sailor who was steering the ship. In the hazy moonlight, he looked nervous and not very smart.

How long have you been at sea, lad?

Murgle skiffer pork chop.

That’s a long time. I guess you’re missing home.

Mork snerk snicklefritz.

I understand. This ocean is a huge place, and it’s always full of water.

Watery pottery slottery, the mouse ran down the clock.

Oh? Set three traps and arm them with peanut butter. Steer a course south by southwest.

Hank?

You may call me Captain.

I hear someone coming.

I cocked one ear and listened. You’re right, it must be the monkeys. Draw cutlasses and prepare to board the ship!

Hank, you’d better wake up.

What do you mean, ‘wake up’? I blinked my eyes and glanced around. Everything had changed. Good grief, it’s daylight and our ship has vanished! Where is the ocean? Why wasn’t I informed?

Well, I guess we were asleep.

Don’t be absurd. I had the night watch and you… I staggered a few steps and took a closer look at the sailor. Who are you?

I’m Drover, remember me?

No. Wait. Did you say Drover?

Yeah, Drover with a D.

You’re the one with the stub tail?

Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about it.

Neither do I. I glanced around. We appeared to be in a room of some kind. Drover, I don’t want to alarm you, but there’s a strange man over there, dressed in boxer shorts and a T-shirt. He’s sitting in a chair. What’s going on around here?

That’s Slim. He’s eating breakfast.

He’s eating a dead lizard?

No, it’s a boiled turkey neck.

Ah, of course, yes. He must have gotten it from the pirates.

There aren’t any pirates.

No pirates? Wait, hold everything. Don’t you get it? That’s Slim Chance!

Yeah, that’s what I said.

Maybe we spent the night in his house.

Duh.

I beg your pardon?

I think you were dreaming about monkeys.

I glanced around, in case we were being watched. Who told you that?

You did. You were babbling about monkeys and ships.

Let’s get one thing straight: I don’t babble.

You do when you’re half-asleep. I heard you.

Stop eavesdropping on me. The fog lifted and my head began to clear. Okay, I’m seeing a pattern here. You’re Drover. We spent the night at Slim’s place and that’s him sitting in the chair.

That’s what I said.

Please don’t interrupt. Did he offer us a bite of his breakfast?

Not yet.

That’s very slurp of him. Maybe we should… My ears began picking up signals from outside. Is that a vehicle?

Yeah, I tried to tell you.

Why didn’t you bark?

He yawned. It seemed like a lot of trouble.

Drover, this is shocking, and please stop yawning. An intruder is approaching the house, and all you can do is yawn about it?

Well…

Battle stations! Load up guns one and two. Let’s lay down some cover fire!

We turned our big guns toward the front door and began pumping out some heavy-duty barks. You should have been there to see it! It was an awesome display of…

Hank, dry up!

Huh? Had I heard a voice?

Yes, and it came again. It’s probably Loper, so knock it off.

Okay, that was Slim’s voice and maybe our blasts of barking had disturbed his breakfast. How’s a dog supposed to