I was sure the butler did it. The butler being Butch the cross-eyed sheep dog from the coast. I wouldn’t have put it past him, not after last week with that Ghost Dog story caper he pulled on us around the camp-fire. I hate to admit it but I was damn pleased when we moved on to another spot down the road. And I know I wasn’t the only one. Tess, Jude and Bagel, all new additions to the pack were similarly relieved that we weren’t heading back to the same spot where the Ghost Dog supposedly loitered luring innocents away. Well things quietened down pretty well for a few days after that, but then the unimaginable happened.

Picture this miles of stock route, hundreds of cattle, busy days out in the long paddock, top and tailed by yarding and un-yarding the mob at dusk and dawn. Did I say miles from anywhere? Specifically S-H-O-P-S? I’m sure you can see where this is leading. Someone stole the dog biscuits. I mean they had to have stolen them. Where else would they have gone too and things don’t mysteriously disappear out here without a two-legged or a four-legged critter being involved, which is why my money is on the butler, I mean Butch.

It was dark when the Boss tied everyone up, except Butch. He of the wonky eye had been kicked by a cow during the day and was laid up under a tree enjoying the sun for most of the afternoon. We were all hungry, Bagel included even though this kid from out west was sporting a serious spare tyre around his middle. Lack of work was his excuse. The girls among us, Tess and Jude reckoned he was just a guts and by the lack of ability he showed with the cattle I figured laziness could be added to his description. But he was quiet and affable enough and he didn’t whine like the girls did or try the odd bit of bullying which Butch was prone too. The first we knew of the missing biscuits was when the Boss returned empty-handed, scratching his head.

‘Sorry fella’s, chow’s off.’

Off what do you mean off? We all barked.

‘Settle down, I’ll scrounge up something.’

I put my paws over my eyes. I could see my feed dish filled with rice and left-over vegetables, or worse pasta and cold beans. ‘You did it,’ I said to Butch. ‘You’ve been off the chain lazing about all afternoon while the rest of us have been working.’

‘He knew where they were,’ Jude added.

‘He had the perfect cover,’ Tess barked, ‘a sore leg. A sore leg my a _ _ _ .’

‘No swearing,’ Bagel told everyone.

‘And look at his water dish,’ I added, ‘everyone knows that if you eat biscuits, you need a drink afterwards.’

Butch snorted and stretched out his sore leg. ‘I can barely move, and you think I stole your biscuits.’

‘Well,’ Tess replied, ‘you have motive. You are bigger than us and you’re the first to chow down at the end of the day.’

‘That’s it. I’m happy to cover for anyone of you but no more.’ Butch stood and took a limping step towards Bagel. ‘Will I tell them, or will you?’

Bagel gave an embarrassed bark, ‘Sorry. I was hungry. You see mum’s had me on a diet and after all that running around I did today, well I kinda saw the biscuits, started eating them and couldn’t stop.’

Butch looked at me, ‘what have you got to say about that, Jack?’

I gave a wry smile, ‘wrong butler?’ I suggested.

Butch eyes widened. He had no idea what I was talking about.

‘Here we go.’ The boss was back with a steaming pot of something that smelt like rotting leather. ‘A bit of bread, some beans, left-over milk and some old vegetables. I wouldn’t let my dogs starve.’

OMG! We turned to Bagel simultaneously.

‘You can have mine,’ he offered.