The Plague Dogs Page #4

Come on then.

Yes, that's it.

Come on boy, come on.

That's a good fella.

Come on, up we go...

There he is! That's one of the buggers!

Sneaky sods. - Are they looking for us?

Who else? Let's away now, an' stop yer yammerin'.

Not without Snitter. If they're hunting the valley for us, Snitter's in danger.

That may be, hinny. But that looks like real trouble.

Ackland here. - Mr. Ackland...

... I wonder if you'd consider doing a small job for me.

Uh, who's this I'm talking to?

Boycott. Dr. Robert Boycott.

I'm with the Lawson park experimental station, in Coniston.

Alrigh'. What kind of job?

Well, I understand that there are two dogs, that have worrying sheep up near Thirlmere.

If you have the time, I'd...

I'd be most grateful if you could...

...see your way clear to ensuring that they...

...they don't do anymore damage.

Rowf!

What are you doing here?

I've been searching for the past two days.

What happened to you? - Didn't you hear it?

I mean, when the air all blew to pieces.

I know it's my fault, but I didn't do it on purpose.

What blew to pieces? What're you talking about?

We're dead, you and I.

I've killed us both.

I've destroyed everything. - Now, calm down and tell me everything.

I...

...was coming back...

...and all the grass and stones in my head were very loud.

Sort of humming, like a strong wind.

And I was on a road...

...like last time.

He called me, and smiled.

And I went to him...

...and everything smashed to pieces.

I smashed it like I did the other time.

It all comes from me, Rowf.

Out of my head.

I killed that man, like I killed my master.

That's why we're here now, like this.

We'll be punished, Rowf. - They can't do anything worse than they've done already.

Everything bad comes out of my head.

Don't you see?

Perhaps dying...

...even...

...dying doesn't stop it.

I don't understand what you're saying...

...but as for dying...

...I'll fight before I'm killed. - They'll shoot you, Rowf...

...when they come with guns.

The noise breaks the world to bits.

If we send someone up there now, we'll have a national exclusive.

Oh, I'm sure we can do a big number on it...

..."exclusive from our reporter in Cumberland", etc....

...All that, and then the whole thing folds in the middle. We could look very foolish.

Suppose a farmer shoots the dog next week.

That'll be the end of it. - That's not the point!

In the first place, half the conservation groups in the country were opposed to the lab being set up in a national park.

Secondly, no one has the teeniest idea what on earth it is that they're doing there anyway!

Do any of you?

No.

Now there's talk of sheep killing, and a member of the local gentry gets himself shot by the dog!

Ah, but was there a dog involved in the shooting at all?

There were muddy paw marks on him, and dog hair... - I've got a feeling about this one.

Get someone up there right away. Today, in fact!

Vera, are you awake?

Yes I am. Did you hear that noise?

Do you think it's a sheep got in at the back?

I can't tell. Eh, wait a minute.

Hey, it's two dogs down there!

They're pulling the rubbish all over the place.

Oh, what a nuisance. - But whose dogs are they?

I've not seen them before.

Lord save us, what ever happened to that little one?

It's head... Look, it's almost cut in two. Did you ever see anything like it?

Look, the other one. - The big one?

Did you remember what Dennis said?

That must be the dog that killed poor Mr. Chetwind down at Cockley Beck.

Don't go down, Vera! - I am going down.

I'm not hiding indoors while a couple of stray dogs pull rubbish up and down the yard.

Be off with ya! And go on!

Will you get out of here!?

Go on! Go on, out!

I don't think this one's likely to give any trouble, Vera.

Poor little thing, I think it's sick.

No wonder either, with that head.

Look at it.

Well it's freightened to death.

Here now, what's your name, then?

It might be best not to touch it...

...if there's something catching. Especially if it's comes from that research place.

We'll shut it in the shed and telephone the police in Broughton.

They'll know what to do.

You lookin' for me?

The way ye were runnin', I thought yer arse was afire.

Snitter's in bad trouble.

Your wee friend's still lost, is he? - Just come with me quickly, please. We need you.

Snitter! Can you hear me?

I'm inside my head now...

...and it's where I should be.

This is no time for one of your turns.

Come on out, you great fond fool!

Sharp with ya now, before we're all caught!

I can't come out. If I do, I'll go mad again.

Move yerself!

Sharp now, ya great nannyhammer!

Get out of the way.

Right in front of ya. That drain.

Follow it to the end. That's the way out of the shed.

...we keep fairly accurate records of our animals... - I'm sure you do, sir.

Show this identification before the matter request.- Sir, the laboratory is concered.

If you'll just come through here, see...

Look! There! He's getting out!

Got him!

By.. The bugger bit me!

...I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. - Oh, it's alright.

Fill it up, please. - As a matter of fact we've had a bit of a rumpus.

Quite a to-do, while it lasted. - Really?

Early this morning some stray dogs broke in and upset our dustbins.

Both the dogs had green collars.

And they say that means they come from the Coniston research place.

We had one of them shut up in the shed...

And a young gentleman come over from Coniston, with a policeman.

Positive identification, aight.

But he got away. The dog, I mean.

Say though, won't the dogs come back?

We'll try to see, that they don't.

Their sheep killing's a nasty business.

Could've read about that in the paper. Something about a man being killed, wasn't there?

I still need to get a proper look at him.

They both had green collars on.

Did you not see that one, as it was pushing itself through the drain hole?

Kind of a terrier, it was.

With that terrible gash.

And I don't know where a dog could come by such a cut-across head as that terrier had...

...except by...

...Well, by vivisection, if that's the right word.

It was a terrible sight!

Well it had just about got away by the time we got there.

So I really didn't get a good look.

I've got to stop by station first Mr. Powell, before I take it back to Coniston, if that's alright.

I'm heading towards Coniston, Mr. Powell.

I'd be happy to give you a lift. - Oh well, uh...

That's very kind of you. Thank you very much, Miss...

Driver. Lynn Driver.

Away, now.

We've got to get the wee fella back before night.

He'll manage well enough.

But if the dogs were from the lab, they couldn't have been in good enough physical condition to kill sheep, could they?

Well, I'm not so sure about that.

732 was a biggish labrador. And strong.

We were doing some survival endurance tests with it.

Doing fantastic times.

And the other dog? - Um well I... I wouldn't think it's likely to be alive, much less out killing sheep.

It had a pretty drastic operation a short while before it escaped.

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