Odd Billy Todd Read Online Free PDF

in?” he thought to himself. I want him to go along, and I can’t use the horses yet with him along. They need time to get used to one another.
    Repeated calls to the dog had no effect, and Billy’s frustration grew. He felt himself slipping away, and caught it.
    “Gotta keep calm,” he told himself. “Gotta keep calm.” He thought for a minute, remembering how Rommel had ran alongside his truck the day before. Of course! If Rommel could follow the truck, he could follow the Ranger! Smiling at himself for solving an unexpected problem, Billy stopped trying to urge Rommel into the small utility vehicle and instead put the Ranger in gear. Easing it into motion so as not to spook the dog any further, Billy moved the Ranger toward the barn door. Rommel started barking immediately, but Billy, for once, ignored him. He pulled the Ranger outside, and stopped long enough to secure the barn door. Rommel ran outside, still barking some, though not as much as before. He circled the Ranger warily, barking at it on occasion, as if testing the new beast.
    When the Ranger didn’t react, Rommel promptly hiked his leg, and urinated on the rear passenger tire, then immediately jumped back. Still no reaction. Rommel snorted, confused. Why wouldn’t this thing react? Billy watched in amusement as the large dog continued to circle the utility truck, sniffing, growling, and lightly biting in sequence, trying to get a sense of the beast in front of him, or at least provoke a response. Nothing.
    “Satisfied?” Billy finally asked, moving to take his seat again. Rommel looked at him in confusion, as if to say, ‘what is this thing?’ Billy laughed and called him again, motioning to the passenger seat. Rommel circled to the passenger side, still cautious. He approached slowly, and Billy again patted the seat beside him.
    Rommel recognized the motion, knowing that was what Billy did when he was ready to ride. Ride. Rommel finally connected the two things. Billy was going for a ride! Tentatively, Rommel raised one foot, placing it on the seat. The shaking of the vehicle caused him to withdraw it at once, but then he did it again, and waited. No reaction. He slowly placed his other fore paw on the seat, and again waited. Still nothing.
    As if suddenly satisfied since Billy wasn’t afraid, Rommel leaped into the seat.
    “Good boy!” Billy praised him, rubbing and scratching his great head. Rommel preened under the attention, and Billy put the Ranger in gear. He was careful to start out slow, so as not to spook the dog. Rommel was a little nervous as the vehicle started moving, but soon got the rhythm of the bouncing utility, and began to relax.
    His first hurdle of the day completed, Billy started on his rounds.
     
    *****
     
    Billy found the cows going about their business as usual. They were long accustomed to the Ranger, and paid it no mind at all. Rommel, however, was another matter.
    Billy’s father was a farmer, not a rancher. He kept a few cows as a hedge against lean years, and to put beef in his own freezer. Sometimes he bartered the beef for services he needed rather than having to pay with cash. As a result, Mister Todd had never used a stock dog. The cows were not used to seeing a dog in such close proximity. Two small donkey’s, adopted through the Wild Burro Adoption program, kept dogs, coyotes, and the like away from the cows.
    Rommel started barking as soon as he saw the first cow. Billy laughed at him at first, thinking it funny to watch the city raised dog reacting to farm animals. He didn’t notice at first the commotion Rommel’s presence or actions were causing among the small herd.
    Cows bellowed, both in fear and annoyance. The burros, hearing the dog, looked up from their normal laconic existence, ears pricked. Rommel noticed that, and tensed. That was when Billy finally began to wake up to what was happening, and it was almost too late.
    He just managed to grab Rommel’s collar as the big dog went to bolt from