The Adventures of Button (7 page)

Why did he have to mix it up with these two? Bad enough with them running back and forth before his very nose, but to have Ssserek watching every move. No. No. No. It was his own fault. Here, he had friends, no longer lost or hungry. No. He would see it through. He groaned, but hung in there, waiting for his new friends to solve the impossible.

“He sounds like a sick moose,” Sally said.

Buttons jerked erect. “Ha! That’s it!” She said it very emphatically.

“It’s what,” Sally asked as Ssserek grinned to himself.

Leave it to them. They’d come through. He moved forward. “The moose, my little one. He has a hoof that no trap can resist.” Ssserek stopped and swayed as he looked at the sky. “Yes, I think we can do it. Sally?”

She jumped at the singular urgency in his voice. “Yes, sir, what can I do?”

Ssserek swayed back and forth as he considered all possibilities. “You can bugle. Bugle loud, dear. That’s what you can do. That’s precisely what you must do.”

Sally nodded. Then she wasted no more time in questions. She knew what had to be done. She raced off to the east, and in a short time reached a small knoll amidst a clearing of trees. Quickly reaching the top, she raised her voice in the clarion call of her kind.

Her bell-like voice reached higher and higher into the air as only beagles can when very excited. Into the afternoon air her call rose, reaching far to the south and east.

At first, nothing happened. A few birds stopped to ponder the racket, but then went back to their feeding. But her voice carried until it touched a receptive mind. Rummaging in deep and wet foliage, two very large ears snapped erect. Their owner was large, very large indeed, and his head came up from the water that encircled him. He listened carefully, taking in the nuances and urgency of the message. He listened as large green leaves and other foliage hung from his large blubbery mouth.

Then the young moose surged toward the shore, leaving his feeding for later. He was large even in his relative youth, for moose are the largest of all deer. He was lank and very tall, his shoulders being higher than the rest of his back. His head was awkward-looking to those not familiar with a moose, long in the snout, with large nostrils which he could close and open rapidly, and drooping blubbery lips which could suck large amounts of water foliage into his gaping maw. He liked to eat, and he would often leave the large zoo’s grazing field for the nearby swamp when he was really hungry. Of course, he wasn’t supposed to leave the field, but he had solved that problem some time ago. Now, he came and returned as he pleased, knowing when the time was right.

But now was the time for action. He moved. He moved with speed and strength. He moved with ground-eating strides, his bulk seemingly blotting out sun as he made his way, first to the forest and then through it. He traveled along hidden trails. Where there was none, he made them. Bushes he ignored. Saplings he simply tore from the earth in his passage. The large trees he nimbly avoided. At last, he burst on the beach, shaking leaf, mud and water in all directions.

Ssserek waited patiently until the great creature approached and dipped his long snout.

“I’m here, Ssserek, as you called.”

Buttons stood on her hind legs for a better view of the very large animal before her. Ssserek was large, Delph even larger, but this one was huge. “Holy cow,” she blurted out. “What are you?”

His head swung down and around to take in the small dog in front of him. As he did so, he sprayed her with particles of aquatic plants, gobs of mud, and drops of water.

“Yuk. My, but you’re messy,” Buttons spluttered.

“I was in a hurry, and I don’t appreciate your humor,” rumbled the deep voice.

Buttons took a few dainty steps around the messy moose. “You what?” she asked him.

Before the conversation could tail off, Ssserek stopped them both with a flick of his tail. “Your opening exclamatory comment, Buttons. He is definitely not a cow. Nor the least bit holy,” he chuckled.

“Sure, OK. But that’s not what I meant. And besides, you know very well.”

A plaintive voice came from behind them. “Could we perhaps get on with this? My foot! It hurts!” Delph whined.

All three turned their attention to the unhappy alligator who drooped disconsolately before them. They were gathering around him when Sally appeared from the trees, having made her way back more slowly from the knoll.

She took one glance at the creature and started to say something, but just shook her head in wonderment. She raced up to them, taking her position between Buttons and Ssserek.

Ignoring the poor alligator’s plight, the great creature took a deep breath, raised one eyebrow, and then lowered his head so that his nostrils puffed directly into their faces with each breath. “I am Milo, the moose, famous for his strength and . . .”

Sally interrupted by muttering beneath her breath, “Good gosh. Another Greek scholar.”

The creature’s head swayed ever so slightly, his large upper lip gently contacting Sally’s shoulder. She went tumbling, fetching up in surprise against the alligator’s snout, a smile rippling down his face so that all glowing fangs passed in review.

They looked at one another in surprise but said nothing as Milo continued, “Famous for my strength and cunning sense of humor.” His “Ho, ho, ho” boomed out over the swamp, sending egrets and cranes flapping into the air.

Sally looked more disgruntled than chagrined, but closed her mouth.

She took the tumbling in good humor.

Ssserek moved past the moose and scanned the chain, stake, and trap binding Delph securely to the ground. Motioning to Buttons, he said, “You will have to guide our rather large friend here, as I will instruct you. Please note the lever at this end. It must be pressed very firmly and not too fast.”

Buttons’s short legs and keen eyes allowed her the best possible view, and it took only a moment for her to fathom the mechanism. Moving about, she stood pressed against the head of Delph, who turned his large, luminous eyes on her as she rested against the corner of his mouth. His upper lip rippled ever so slightly, causing Buttons to look up.

She met his gaze squarely. “Easy shoe-leather, you’d make tough but enjoyable chew bones.”

Delph slowly winked as his lips began to ripple once again. Buttons was about to say more when Ssserek broke in, “Easy, both of you. We must work together. And, very carefully if the matter is to be concluded successfully.”

Delph’s breath came a bit quicker, but he refrained from saying more. Ssserek was right. And, after all, he did have a point.

Buttons turned to Ssserek and Milo, “Do you think we’ll need to have something under the trap so that it’s not simply buried?”

Ssserek measured Milo’s hoof and the soft ground. “You’re probably right. Though just how we’re going to manage it will take some thought.”

Sally stepped forward. “Perhaps we could just have Delph roll over and hold the trap on his chest.”

Delph started to follow through on the suggestion before he noticed the bland stares the two dogs were giving him. He stopped. He surveyed Milo, carefully took in his splayed hoof and the weight they bore, then said, “Thanks, morsel, but no thanks. He’d squish me flat.”

Buttons giggled, “Well, Delph, it was only a suggestion.”

Turning to Sally, she said, “Come on. It’s up to us to find something. Let’s go.” Off the two raced, leaving small prints in the soft dirt.

Sally was back in minutes with a shout. Skidding up to Delph, Sally announced, “We’ve got a big flat rock, but we can’t move it. Come on, Milo. Back in a sec, Delph.”

As an afterthought, she turned to Delph and said, “Don’t go away.”

Milo bellowed and moved after the fleet four-legged figure of Sally. She was right. Only a scant seventy yards down the edge of the swamp and slightly inland lay a flat stone. Buttons was digging furiously. She looked up, with mud encasing her face from snout to ears. “It doesn’t go very deep,” she announced, “but Sally and I can’t move it together. That’s for sure.”

The two friends moved about it, measuring the rock from all angles. Milo smiled at their serious demeanor. Moving up to the stone, he nudged it with one great hoof. It moved slightly.

“Hey,” Buttons shouted, “Milo, you’ve got it.”

He was about to ask her what she meant, when it dawned on him. “Humph . . . Yes, indeed. Watch.”

He kicked at it, spraying muck and leaves in all directions. But, the stone had moved perceptibly.

“Do it again, Milo, but this time aim it,” Buttons shouted excitedly.

Milo muttered to himself, “Aim it? What does she think I am?” He looked down as Sally danced about his hooves. “Easy there, Sally. I can’t always see you, you know.”

“Don’t worry, you big ox. You’re not that lucky.”

Milo’s disgruntled retort was lost as the two dogs put their heads together, resting them on the rock as they looked down the beach. “Yep, that’ll do it.”

Buttons moved out in front of Delph so that she could speak directly to him. When she had finished and carefully informed the moose of his part, she moved away.

Milo waited patiently until the two had backed off, then he swatted at the stone once again, but this time taking careful aim and using more strength.

The result was more than gratifying; it was spectacular. The rock lifted into the air, like a discus, sailed down the shore, and skidded to a stop ten yards away.

“Wow,” Sally muttered, “Now, that’s strength.”

Milo beamed his appreciation and jogged nonchalantly toward the stone, where he repeated his previous action. After several such attempts, both Delph and Ssserek were amazed to see the flat stone sail into view and come skidding to a stop a few feet away. Milo’s booming came clearly to them as he appeared around the reeds lining the swamp, the two dogs yipping and laughing at his heels.

“Hey, Ssserek,” Sally shouted, “did you ever see anything like that? He’d be a fantastic place kicker.”

“He sure would,” Buttons agreed, “the Bears sure could use him.”

Milo frowned. Now, what would he want with a bear? Biff was bad enough, always wallowing in the shallows and making a mess of the water plants. Buttons guessed his thoughts and added, “The Chicago Bears, you know.”

He looked down at the impertinent young Scottie and had to smile. The reference escaped him, but he would get it all later. Milo was beaming at Sally’s compliment as he skidded to a stop in front of Delph who reared back to avoid the mass of muscle coming at him.

“Easy,” Buttons said, as she mounted Delph’s back. She stopped between the two large eyes that crossed in their attempt to see her.

Delph didn’t know what to do. Ssserek rested to one side. Sally bounced back and forth along the shore. Milo beamed down from his great height.

Buttons scanned the group from her position atop Delph. “Now, look. This is how we’re going to do it, so pay attention because I have to get there where the rock is going.” With that she leaped to the ground and wiggled down the hole so that she could view the trap, Delph, and rock.

“Delph, raise your paw. Keep the trap off the ground.”

Delph slowly raised his sore leg as he partially rolled onto his side, partially squashing Buttons in the process. “No, no, you big twit. Higher, and keep off of me.”

“Sally, do please keep an eye on him. He’s the pits.”

Delph grinned impudently and rolled slightly more toward Buttons. Her yell of dissatisfaction was most gratifying.

“Milo, if you will, just nudge that rock forward. Ssserek can tell you just about when to stop.” Buttons grunted with effort as she freed herself from between Delph and the side of the hollow. She glowered at the saurian who only smiled blandly.

Buttons returned to the hole, stepping down into it so that only her small rump showed. Her voice was partially obscured by alligator, trap, and chain as she carefully surveyed them. “Delph, please, cooperate. After all, it’s your leg.”

Everyone did as requested. Milo slowly nudged the stone forward until Ssserek asked him to pause. Sally saw to the final placement. And finally, Delph could heave a sigh of relief as he lowered his paw, the trap clinking as he did so.

Both Sally and Ssserek slowly measured the stone and the placement of the trap, and when it met specifications, nodded simultaneously to Buttons.