At about five o’clock the Aldens reached the Ashby motel where they planned to stay. They rode up to the office window with their strange dog. They asked for two rooms side by side, with a door between. The manager looked out and saw the dog.
“You can’t keep a dog in your room, you know,” the manager said. “It’s against the rules.”
“Oh, dear!” said Jessie. “Then we can’t stay here. We have to keep the dog with us.”
Henry turned to Shadow and said, “Sit.” The dog sat down.
“Oho!” said the manager. “An obedient dog. Does he mind you when you tell him to stop whining?”
Henry laughed. “You know, we never tried that.”
Just then Shadow made a whining sound. Benny went over and got down on one knee. The dog looked up at Benny through all the gray hair covering its face. He stopped whining, and then he began again.
Benny said, “Shadow, you can’t stay if you whine.”
Shadow whined.
“NO!” said Benny sharply. “No!” He shook his head at the dog. Shadow started to whine, but Benny took hold of his nose and held it tight. The little dog did not like this at all. He tried to whine once more.
Benny shouted at the top of his voice, “NO!”
Shadow had never heard anyone yell at him like that. He seemed to understand what Benny was trying to teach him. He put his head on one side and looked up at the manager. It seemed as if the dog wanted to show how well he could obey.
“He does look cute when he does that,” the manager said. “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. You understand dogs are not allowed in the motel. But that dog minds so well I will give you two rooms on the very end, 199 and 200. You keep him in the little hallway. But if he whines, out he goes.”
“And out we go, too,” said Benny. “You hear that, Shadow? And that would be too bad, because I’m hungry.”
Violet said, “You have a lovely dining room.” The Aldens could see people eating dinner.
“Yes, it’s a new dining room,” the manager said. “We are serving dinner now. You can eat right away if you want.”
“We do want,” said Benny. “Yes, sir! We’ll just go and leave our things in the rooms.”
“And leave the dog,” added the man. “I have an idea for him.” He laughed to himself. The Aldens knew that whatever the idea was, it was a good one.
The man gave Henry two keys and showed him the way to go. “Park your bikes at the very end, around the corner,” he said.
Shadow trotted along after his new family. The manager watched, still smiling.
When Henry unlocked the door of the room he and Benny would have, he found a little square hallway. He threw his raincoat on the floor and said to Shadow, “Lie down. Stay!”
Shadow lay down on the raincoat and looked up at Henry without a sound.
“Good dog,” said Benny. “And don’t you whine, remember! We’ll bring you some supper after we have had ours.”
“You talk to that dog as if he could understand every word,” Violet said.
“Maybe he does,” replied Benny. “You can’t tell.”
The Aldens did not stop to unpack. They just washed their hands and went out again.
“Stay!” Henry said to the dog. Then he went out and locked the door.
The Aldens walked over to the motel dining room and went in. Everything was bright and new. The manager was busy at the end of the dining room, but he smiled when he saw the Aldens. They found a table and sat down.
“This is the best place we have seen yet,” said Jessie. “I’m going to have a real dinner.”
They took their time.
At last Benny said, “That was delicious. I could ride twenty miles now.”
“Tomorrow,” said Jessie.
The manager came over and whispered to Henry. He gave him a brown paper bag. “Here’s your dog’s dinner,” he said. “There’s enough for his breakfast, too. Just don’t let anyone see that you are feeding a dog.”
“You are very kind,” Jessie said. “We won’t forget this.”
“Well, I would not do this for everybody, but you seem like good kids, and I’d like to help you.”
When Henry opened the room door he found that Shadow had not moved. He didn’t bark or whine.
“What a good dog you are, Shadow!” exclaimed Benny. “Here is your supper. I really wish you were my dog. We’ll keep your breakfast for you in the bag.”
The dog was hungry and ate every crumb. He licked the paper plate several times. Then he lay down again.
“I don’t think we will have any trouble with him,” Henry said. “He acts tired out and I think he’ll sleep. As for me, I’m tired out, too.”
It was only eight o’clock. But the Aldens went to bed and went to sleep. Everything was quiet.
Just at midnight Shadow gave a short, sharp bark.
Jessie woke right away. “Oh, dear!” she said. “That’s Shadow! Now we’ll all have to go! And in the middle of the night, too.”
Henry jumped out of bed and ran to the hallway where Shadow was. “Quiet, Shadow!” he said.
Benny sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?” he asked.
Shadow did not bark again, but he made a growling sound.
“Shh!” Henry said. “It’s midnight. Shadow, what is wrong with you?”
By now Benny was awake. “Maybe someone is outside and Shadow hears him,” he said.
Shadow gave a short whine now.
Jessie and Violet were standing in their doorway, looking at Shadow and the boys.
Violet said, “Shadow didn’t bark for nothing, that’s sure. What’s the matter, Shadow? Show us.”
Shadow seemed to understand. He ran to the outside door and sniffed.
Henry very carefully opened the door just a crack.
“Smoke!” Benny exclaimed. “I smell smoke!”
“Fire somewhere!” Henry said. “Come on, Benny. You girls and Shadow stay right here.”
Jessie put her arms around the little dog’s neck and held him.
The girls heard Henry and Benny running toward the manager’s office.
“I see smoke coming from that lovely dining room!” Violet said. “There’s a fire there.”
“We’d better stay right here,” said Jessie. “This part of the motel isn’t in any danger.”
Indeed all the smoke was coming from the new dining room. The manager, in a raincoat, ran out in his bare feet. He had a fire extinguisher and turned it on the fire. Other men hurried to help. They turned a fire hose on the fire, and it soon began to die out.
“Not bad,” said one man. “We got it before the fire really got going. You’re a lucky man, Mister.”
“Yes, I am,” said the manager. “That part of my motel is new. I’d hate to lose it.”
“Who found the fire?” asked a woman.
“Those kids in the end rooms,” said the manager. But he didn’t say a word about the dog. He had heard Shadow bark. But it seemed no one, except the Aldens, had heard anything.
The manager ran quickly over to the Aldens. He spoke in a low voice. “Your dog saved my motel, kids,” he said. “I want you to know that. But I don’t want the people to know there is a dog here. Everybody would want to bring dogs.”
“We won’t say a word,” replied Benny. “And Shadow doesn’t care for any glory.”
Jessie said, “Besides, we want to be on our way early in the morning.”
“Stop for breakfast,” said the manager. “Just tell me what you want and what time. I’ll get it for you myself. I may not go to bed again. Now that the fire is out, I have to clean up. What would you like for breakfast?”
Benny said, “I’d like a real breakfast. Bacon and eggs and toast and milk and orange juice.”
The manager laughed. “How about some sausage?”
“No thanks, I like bacon better.”
Henry said, “Maybe we should leave about six o’clock. We have a long day’s ride ahead of us.”
The manager said, “That would be fine. Then nobody would see the dog, and I wouldn’t have to explain. I hope you’ll come back again. You did a great thing for me, smelling that smoke in time.”
The Aldens went back to sleep and so did Shadow. But the manager could not sleep. He wanted to be sure the fire did not break out again. He was in the dining room with the table set for the children when they came in very quietly.
They had wheeled their bikes over to the dining room, and Henry had Shadow under one arm.
Henry tried to pay the manager for the rooms and meals.
“No,” the man said. “I will let you pay for one room but no meals. If you hadn’t been here, I wouldn’t have any dining room this morning.”
“That was Shadow,” Benny said.
“Yes, I know. I owe a lot to that dog. But come again sometime without him. You can always spend the night here free.”
Benny finished the last of his breakfast and said, “I’m ready. Let’s go!”
“We’re all ready,” Jessie said. “Off we go!”
Shadow wagged his tail. The Aldens had their knapsacks on. They waved to the manager and set off on their bikes. The morning was cool and it was pleasant to ride when there was no traffic.
Sometimes Shadow ran along beside the bikes. Sometimes Henry gave him a ride. He really seemed part of the family.
After miles of riding, Henry said, “Now we are not far from Aunt Jane’s.”
“Good,” said Benny. “Aunt Jane will get us some lunch. Or Maggie. I guess it will be Maggie.” |