Lulu Bell and the Pirate Fun (4 page)

‘Jessie!' called Lulu. ‘Jessie, come!'

Mum whistled again.

‘The floodwaters have definitely risen since yesterday,' said Mum. ‘The water's lapping up against the trees now.'

Once she came to the flooded paddock, Asha seemed to lose the faint scent she had been following. She looked up and down, then barked again.

‘I think we might need some help,' said Mum. ‘Something is definitely not right.'

Mum pulled out her phone and called Dad. In a few moments, he arrived in the four-wheel drive with Uncle Nick. Auntie Tor followed in her car.

Dad jumped out of the car. He was wearing his oilskin jacket and a hat. Everyone gathered around to discuss a search plan.

‘When was the last time anyone saw Jessie?' asked Dad.

‘She was playing with Polly after breakfast,' said Lulu. ‘I saw them run across the paddock towards the creek. Polly came home just a little while ago, but Jessie wasn't with her.'

‘So she's been gone a couple of hours,' said Mum. ‘She could be anywhere.'

Dad looked up and down the flooded creek. ‘I think we should split up,' he suggested. ‘If we keep calling and whistling, she should hear us and come running.'

Uncle Nick started the car engine. ‘Gus, you come with me. We'll go and check around the cattle yards and in the back paddocks. She might be chasing rabbits up in the hills.'

‘I'll drive out and check along the road,' said Auntie Tor. ‘She could have wandered out the front gate. Meg, do you want to come too?'

Meg nodded.

‘Why don't you boys check the sheds?' Dad suggested.

Tom and Lachie ran off to search the
farm buildings. Uncle Nick and Auntie Tor drove off in different directions.

Dad looked at Lulu. He tweaked her cheek. ‘Come on, sweetie. Don't worry. We'll find our Jessie.'

Lulu looked up at Dad. ‘What if she's been washed away by the flood?'

Dad gave Lulu a big hug. His arms felt strong and safe. ‘Jessie's a big, clever dog.
And
she's as brave as a lion. We'll find her.'

Mum took Rosie by the hand. ‘Why don't Rosie and I search upstream?' she suggested.

‘Good idea,' said Dad. ‘Lulu and I can go downstream.'

Lulu and Dad scrambled along the creek bank. The creek bed itself was quite narrow. At some points it was only one metre across. At other parts it expanded
to form shallow pools that were usually only a couple of metres wide. Today, though, all the flooding meant that the shallow pools were now about the size of a football field.

Asha ran back and forth, as if she was still trying to find a scent to follow. But the floodwater had washed away any trail.

Lulu called until her voice was hoarse. Dad checked under the wooden bridge. There was no sign of the missing dog. Past the bridge, the creek flowed faster. It twisted and turned like a snake through the paddock. This was the part of the creek that Uncle Nick had warned could be dangerous.

Dad helped Lulu clamber along the rough bank. There were gnarled tree roots, rocks and boulders. The ground was slippery and soggy underfoot.
Dad stopped to check back across the paddock.

Lulu scrambled up a small mound, with Asha following. Lulu paused at the top to catch her breath. Her face felt hot and sticky. Her hands stung with scratches from thorns and branches. Her clothes were soaked and stuck to her skin. And still there was no sign of Jessie.

Down below her, the creek had widened out again, forming a muddy brown lagoon. The bank was choked with scrubby bushes that were half-submerged by the floodwaters. The rain plopped and splatted down. It drizzled onto Lulu's face. She wiped it away with the back of her hand.

‘Jessie,' called Lulu. ‘Jessie!'

Asha whined.

Lulu shut her eyes so that she could concentrate on listening. With her eyes closed, she thought she heard something. Lulu tucked a wet plait behind her ear. She listened as hard as she could. There it was again! It was a very faint sound. Was it a bird? Or could it be a very faint whimper?

Asha must have heard it, too. She barked loudly and darted down the bank towards the water.

‘Dad! Dad!' yelled Lulu. ‘I think I heard Jessie!'

Dad ran up the slope and stopped beside Lulu.

‘Did you see Jessie? Where?' he cried.

‘Shhh,' said Lulu. She closed her eyes again and cupped her hand around her ear. ‘There it is again.'

‘I can't hear anything,' said Dad.

Lulu kept her eyes closed and turned her face towards the faint sound. She pointed. Lulu's ears told her that the noise was coming from the far bank.
But she couldn't see anything there except a tangled thicket of branches and brambles.

Then she saw something. A small black shape was sticking out of the water. It was half-hidden among the undergrowth. Was it a submerged stone? Perhaps it was a log … But was it moving?

‘There, Dad!' cried Lulu. ‘What's that? Is it Jessie?'

‘It couldn't be,' said Dad. ‘What would she be doing down there?'

Asha barked once more. She darted back and forth anxiously then jumped into the water with a loud splash. She started swimming for the opposite bank.

‘It must be,' said Lulu. ‘Asha wouldn't go in unless she thought Jessie was there. She hates swimming.'

The shape moved again and finally Lulu could see it clearly. The dark shape was Jessie's black muzzle. Her brown head was nearly invisible against the muddy water and the thicket of wood. Her eyes turned to Lulu. She whined pitifully.

‘It
is
Jessie,' yelled Lulu. ‘She must be trapped.'

Dad took his phone out of his pocket. ‘Ring Mum and Uncle Nick and ask them to come straight away. Please stay up here on the bank, sweetie. I don't want you to go down near the water.'

Lulu took the phone. She punched the buttons to ring Mum then Uncle Nick, to tell them what had happened.

Meanwhile, Dad made his way down the bank. He slowly and carefully waded out into the lagoon. The water came up over his knees, then to his waist as he splashed out across the floodwater. He reached Jessie at the same time Asha did. Asha paddled to the shallows where she could stand. Lulu could see Dad struggling with the tangle of branches.

‘Jessie's stuck in the brambles,' he called.

Lulu felt her tummy knot.
What can I do to help Dad?
Then she remembered something. At the farm, Dad always carried a sturdy pocket knife. He had used it to cut the twine on the hay bales yesterday.

‘What about your knife, Dad?' called Lulu. ‘Maybe you could cut her free?'

Dad checked his belt. The knife was safely stowed in its leather pouch. With one arm he cradled Jessie's body, taking her weight. With the other, he sawed at the branches that had caught her. Lulu could hear the snap and crack of the timber splitting.

‘Got her!' yelled Dad. He lifted Jessie up in his arms and carried her back safely across the creek. Asha swam back beside him.

Dad clambered up the bank. He lay Jessie down gently on the ground.

 

Dad ran his hands over her legs and back. Jessie lay still. She was exhausted.

Lulu felt the sting of tears against her eyelids. ‘Oh Jessie,' she cried, as she stroked Jessie's side. ‘Are you all right?'

Jessie looked up at Lulu. She smiled her big doggy smile and licked Lulu on the hand. Lulu smiled back.

‘She'll be fine,' said Dad. ‘She only has a few cuts and bruises. We just need to get her dry and warm again.'

Soon Mum and Uncle Nick arrived in the four-wheel drive. Dad wrapped Jessie and Asha in the towels that Mum had brought along. They lifted the two dogs into the back of the car. Lulu and Dad hopped into the back with the dogs and used two more of the towels to dry off their hair and clothes.

Back at the house, Dad tended to Jessie in front of the warm fire. She was soon running around the house, licking everyone in sight.

Lulu had a steaming-hot shower to wash away the mud. After Dad had showered too, everyone gathered in the kitchen. Mum filled the kettle with water.

 

‘After all that excitement, I could do with a hot cup of tea,' said Mum. ‘Anyone else like one?'

Gus frowned up at Mum. ‘But what about my
birsday
?' he asked. ‘What about my pirate party?'

Mum put down the kettle.

‘Oh, I'd nearly forgotten,' she said.

Gus looked worried.

Mum gave Gus a cheeky grin. ‘I'm only joking, honey bun! But we can't possibly have a pirate party with you dressed like
that
,' said Mum. ‘Luckily I have something that might help.'

Mum fetched a huge parcel wrapped in red-and-white striped paper. It was tied with a big black bow.

‘Happy birthday, Gus!' cried Mum.

Gus ripped open the wrapping paper. Inside was a pirate suit. It had a gold vest and a scarlet jacket. There were black trousers and a puffy white shirt, all exactly Gus-sized. Best of all, there was a black pirate hat with a long, crimson feather. Rosie handed Gus the sword that Gumpa had made for him.

‘Yay!' cried Gus. He flung his arms around Mum's neck. ‘Thanks, Mumma. You're the best mum in the world.'

Gus jammed the hat on his head, grabbed his sword and challenged Lachie to a duel.

‘She
is
the best mum in the world,' said Dad. ‘And you make a mighty fine pirate captain, Gus.'

‘
Arrr
, Captain Sharkbait,' said Tom.

Mum smiled and straightened Gus's hat.

‘Why don't you kids get dressed, ready for the party?' suggested Mum. ‘The grown-ups have a few last-minute things to set up.'

Mum had brought a bag full of dress-ups and swords from the costume box at home. Auntie Tor had added some clothes from their family collection, as well.

 

The cousins rummaged through the costumes, planning their outfits.

Striped kerchiefs and red bandannas were paired with silky sashes and silver swords. Felt eye patches and buckled belts tangled with black tricorne hats and coloured feathers. Lulu spied a purple
velvet jacket and a sky-blue sash, which she grabbed with glee.

Once everyone was dressed, Meg used a black eye pencil to draw moustaches and beards on everyone's faces. Soon the six cousins and four dogs were transformed into a swashbuckling band of buccaneers.

Lulu shook the lace ruffles at her wrists. A blue felt tricorne was perched upon her head and her sword was tucked into her sash. She felt very grand.

The pirate cousins stomped into the kitchen. There was no sign of the adults. There was just a scroll on the table, tied with a black ribbon.

‘Look, Captain Gus. It's addressed to you,' said Lulu.

Gus untied the scroll and unrolled the thick parchment paper. It was stained with tea and the edges were partly burned to make it look old.

The map was marked with mysterious places such as Pirate Haven, Sea of Sighs (with an arrow that said, ‘Beware sea
monster') and Troll Bridge. A dotted trail led from Pirate Haven to a rectangle marked with a cross. Beside this was curly writing that said, ‘Your heart's desire.'

The six cousins glanced at each other in excitement. Gus looked up at Lulu, his eyes as round as Spanish doubloons.

‘It's a treasure map,' said Lulu. ‘If we follow the clues, it will lead us to the pirate gold!'

‘So where do we start?' asked Gus.

Lulu gave a mysterious smile. ‘We need to solve the clues and follow the trail.'

‘Well, I think we're here.' Tom tapped the map where the rectangle marked Pirate Haven was. ‘Pirate Haven is the house.'

‘So the Sea of Sighs is down there,' said Meg. She pointed out towards the flooded paddock.

‘And we need to cross Troll Bridge, to get over Dead Man's Creek,' added Lachie. ‘Then we head east away from the Misty Mountains, then south to where X marks the spot.'

Gus charged towards the door. ‘Let's go!' he cried.

‘Aye aye, Captain,' said Rosie.

Everyone raced out onto the verandah and pulled on their gumboots.
The four dogs followed.

The cousins stomped down the driveway in their pirate finery. The rain had stopped.

Gus splashed through a muddy puddle.

‘Beware the sea monsters, matey,' warned Lachie.

They came to the wooden bridge.

‘Halt!' cried Lulu, brandishing her sword. ‘Beware the trolls of Troll Bridge!'

‘Avast!' yelled Tom.

The band of pirates all pulled out their swords and daggers. They battled across the bridge, swiping the air and knocking the invisible trolls into Dead Man's Creek.

Gus shrieked with excitement.

Following the markings on the map, they skirted the puddles on the dirt road, with the Misty Mountains behind them.
Then they veered off the road, across the grass towards the barn. The barn door was closed.

Lulu held up a hand in warning.

‘Shiver me timbers, rapscallions,' said Lulu. ‘What have we here?'

‘Do you think the treasure's inside?' whispered Gus.

Lulu grinned back. ‘Let's take a peek.'

Together, Lulu and Gus creaked open the barn door. Light streamed into the dark and dusty space. Gus tiptoed in.

‘
Surprise
!' yelled Mum, Dad, Uncle Nick and Auntie Tor. The adults were all dressed as fearsome pirates, too.

To one side was a trestle table covered in black velvet cloth. It was laden with party food. There were blue-jelly-cup seas with their orange-wedge boats floating on top. Bowls held chips and
popcorn and watermelon cannonballs. A plate held biscuits, which were decorated with pirate faces. Sausages were cut to look like sea monsters with eight tentacles.

‘Ooh,' said Gus.

On a big platter in the middle of the table was the cake. It was covered in chocolate icing and decorated with lollies to make a pirate treasure chest. The chest was overflowing with gold-covered chocolate coins and jewel-coloured lollies.

‘Yay!' cried Gus. ‘A treasure cake made of
choclit
!'

‘And Gus,' said Lulu, ‘look what we made for you.'

Lulu pointed up at the pile of hay bales. Gus grabbed Lulu's hand.

‘It's a ship,' cried Gus. ‘A
super-duper
pirate ship!'