Doglands Read Online Free PDF Page A

shoot lower than the Gambler. And he had two thumbs.
    Then Furgul had an idea. The teetering of the box meant they were sitting on the very edge of the chasm. The chasm and its horrid smell filled Furgul with dread. But maybe there was a chance—even if it was a tiny chance—that the pups could survive the fall. If the blast from Dedbone’s shotgun hit them, they would have no chance at all. Furgul saw Dedbone take aim—at the bottom of the box.
    “Come on!” barked Furgul. “Help me tip the box over! Like this!”
    He crouched down on his hind legs and sprang up at the back of the box as high as he could. The box tilted a little and fell back. Eeena and Nessa crouched beside him.
    “Together,” said Furgul. “Now!”
    The three pups leaped forward as one. The box jumped backward an inch and tilted over the edge. It hovered for a second. Then it started to fall into the chasm of doom.
    BOOM! BOOM!
    The shotgun blast ripped into the box and Furgul yelped as sharp, hot pellets stung his haunches. His stomach seemed to jump into his throat. A rushing sound roared through the holes. Nessa screamed. Eena didn’t make a sound.
    They were falling.
    Falling.
    Falling.
    Into oblivion.
    The box landed with a great crashing, crunching sound, and all the breath shot out of Furgul’s lungs. His vision went black. The box rolled over and over. Furgul and Eena and Nessa tumbled around inside. Then everything was still.
    Furgul got his breath and blinked his eyes. It was dark—very dark, even for him—but a dim gray light came from the hole. His shoulder hurt and his legs hurt. Everything hurt. But he plunged toward the hole and struggled outside.
    He gasped at the monstrous smell. Something sharp and spiky stabbed between his toes. He looked up toward the light, which spilled from the cave at the top of the chasm. The chasm was like a giant chimney. The air down here was dank and still. He couldn’t feel the slightest breath of wind. The stench of evil was overpowering.
    As his eyes got used to the gloom, he looked around.
    “Oh no,” said Furgul. His brain was swamped by horror. “Oh no.”
    Furgul suddenly realized what he was standing on.
    He was standing on bones.
    The box had landed on a hill of dead dogs.
    Most were skeletons. Racks of ribs and backbones and skulls. Here and there a moldy blanket with a number printed on it was wrapped around a decomposed greyhound. The hill was high and deep. Some of the smells were new; some were very, very old. Dedbone had dumped more dead dogs here than even the worst of the rumors at the camp had suggested. Furgul had never imagined there could be so many.
    His head began to swim, and he thought he was going to fall over. He closed his eyes and panted to make himself calm. He wanted to run away. But where were Eena and Nessa? He opened his eyes as Nessa limped toward him over the bones. She used only three legs to walk and held one of her forepaws in the air.
    “Where’s Eena?” said Furgul.
    Nessa shook her head. She couldn’t speak. She could hardly even breathe. Furgul clambered back toward the box. No sound came from inside. With dread he poked his head inside.
    Eena was dead. Dedbone’s shotgun had killed her as they fell.
    Furgul was so sad he felt like he would die too. Thenhe heard the crunch of boots from the cave high above. He looked up. He heard the masters’ voices.
    “Joke. Joke. Joke.”
    “Chuckle. Chuckle. Chuckle.”
    “Tee. Hee. Hee.”
    The silhouettes of two men appeared on the edge. He saw Dedbone reloading his shotgun. The Gambler switched on a flashlight and pointed the beam down. A big white circle of light appeared near the box and moved toward Furgul. Furgul realized that Dedbone wanted to make sure they were all dead. Furgul dodged away from the light. He stumbled down the hill of bones. He shouted.
    “Nessa, run!”
    It was a mistake. The beam of light swung toward him. The masters had heard him. The shotgun boomed. Furgul jumped to one side