We Are Family
Prologue
Dingo looked around himself and smiled. �The small Alaskan town of Nome was buzzing with excitement. �Everyone knew why, of course: Dingo�s dad, Balto, along with his brother, Kodi, and a few other dogs were preparing for a huge sled dog team race. �Balto and Kodi were the two most famous sled dogs in the land of Alaska, not to mention the fastest.
Dingo�s thoughts were interrupted by a warm voice. ��Dingo, you�re going to miss the race!� the voice called to him from not far away. �Don�t you want to wish Dad and Kodi good luck?�
Dingo recognized his sister Saba walking toward him and grinned. ��Okay, okay, I�m coming,� he said. �Then he added with a sneer, �You know, you remind me of mom. �You�re both slave-drivers!� �He rolled around in the snow, laughing hysterically.
�Ha, ha, ha,� Saba said, rolling her eyes. �Apparently, she hadn�t enjoyed the little joke as much as her brother. �Come on, Ding-dong!�
Dingo got off of the ground and approached his sister. ��Oh, you�re going to pay for saying that!� he said, faking an angry look on his face. �Then he pounced on his sister and knocked her over. �This time they were both rolling around on the ground and laughing.
The two dogs were playfully fighting with each other until they heard a gunshot. �Saba wiggled out of her brother�s grasp and gasped. ��Way to go, Ding-dong,� she said, pretending to be mad at him. �Now we missed the start of the race!�
Before Saba could figure out what was happening, her brother had grabbed her and was running toward the huge crowd at the starting line. ��We haven�t missed it yet!� he shouted, panting.
Dingo weaved through the crowd at a rapid pace, with Saba close behind. �When he had got past the massive amount of people and animals, he started running after the sled dog teams. �Saba let go of him. ��What are you doing?� she screamed. �Get off of the track! �Are you crazy?�
�Nah,� Dingo called over his shoulder. �I�m not crazy. �I just want to wish Dad and Kodi good luck!�
As she stood watching her brother run into the distance, Saba shook her head. ��My brother has completely lost it,� she muttered.
-----
Dingo panted hard. �He had almost caught up to the sled dogs now. �There were two teams: one lead by Balto, and the other by Kodi. �Right now, Kodi�s team was in the lead.
Dingo sprinted faster. �Now he was even with the last dog on Balto�s team. �Pretty soon he began to gain on the team until he was alongside his father.
Balto was definitely surprised. ��What are you doing here, Dingo?� he yelled. �You need to get back with your family!�
Dingo smiled as he kept an even pace with his father. ��I just wanted to wish you good luck, Dad!� he shouted. �Bye, I�ll see you in a few days!� �Dingo waved to his dad, and then picked up speed to catch up with Kodi.
Kodi grinned when he saw his brother. ��Sorry, Dingo, but it�s kind of late to join the team now!� he yelled with a smile. �Wow, you can run pretty fast!�
�Hey, Kodi!� Dingo shouted back to his brother. �No, I don�t want to join your team�-(he laughed at this point)-�I just wanted to say good luck! �I�ll see you in a few days when the race is over!� �Then Dingo swerved to the left to get off of the racetrack. �He caught his breath as he watched the two dog teams sprint past.
A few minutes after the last dog had passed out of view, Dingo got up again and ran home. �Halfway to his destination, he saw Saba running out to meet him.
�You are such an idiot!� she said playfully. �Why did you even think you could catch up to two of the fastest sled dog teams in the world?�
Dingo shrugged. ��I don�t know, but I did,� he said. �I just wanted to say goodbye to Dad and Kodi. �You got a problem with that?� he added, pushing his sister playfully.
Saba returned her brother�s little shove. ��No,� she said, smiling.
The brother and sister walked back to Nome in silence. �Saba tried to think of something to say, but she was enjoying the peaceful quietness of the Alaskan frontier.
Saba dug her nose into the soft hair on Dingo�s back. �His fur was nice and smooth. �
Saba didn�t know what she would ever do without her brother. �They were more than just siblings. �If she ever lost him, she would be completely devastated.
Little did she know what was going to happen to her and her brother in the next few days�
Chapter 1
Dingo and Saba ran into Jenna�s home and shook themselves dry. �Jenna, who was lying by the fire, didn�t really look happy to see her son and daughter fling snow around the nice, warm room. ��Where have you been?� she asked worriedly. �The race began an hour ago. �I was so worried about you two!�
Dingo smiled and put an arm around his sister�s neck. ��Aw, don�t worry, Mom,� he said. �You know that you don�t have to worry about little Saba getting in trouble when I�m around.�
Saba escaped from her brother�s grip and rolled her eyes. ��Yeah, sure,� she said. �You�re so responsible. �Like when you ran into Rosie two days ago and knocked her over.�
�What did you do?� Jenna said, shocked.
Dingo stepped hard on his sister�s front paw. ��Oh, nothing,� he said.
Jenna rolled her eyes. ��Well, just tell me before you sneak away like that next time, okay?� she said. �Dingo and Saba nodded.
�Mom, I can take care of Saba,� Dingo said. �Don�t worry about it! �Mom, we�re already five months old. �We can take care of ourselves now.�
�Dingo, stop acting like you�re responsible for me,� Saba said. �You�re only nine minutes older than I am.�
�Oh, come on, Saba,� Dingo said. �You have to admit it. �You would be dead by now if it wasn�t for me!�
Saba knew that her brother was right. �She was always getting into bad situations, and her brother had saved her each time. �Now she was stuck. ��Uh�hey, Dingo, want to go to the boiler room?� she asked, hoping to change the subject.
Dingo and Jenna smiled at each other. �Saba just didn�t want to admit that she needed her brother so much. ��Sure, I�ll go,� said Dingo. �I�ll see you later, Mom.�
�Bye, Mom!� Saba cried out as she ran out of the door with her brother close behind. �As soon as they were both outside, she turned to her brother and said, �Let�s race!�
The two dogs ran as fast as they could toward the boiler room. �Dingo was pulling ahead of his sister, but then he came to a halting stop. �Saba saw her brother stop and stopped herself. ��What�s wrong?� she thought.
�Dingo! �Here, boy!� a voice was shouting. �Dingo ran to his owner and wagged his tail. ��I have some big news for you, boy,� his owner said, patting him on the head.
Dingo started to follow his owner back to his home. �He turned around and shrugged at Saba. �She shrugged back.
Saba turned around and kept walking. ��I guess I�ll just have to go to the boiler room by myself today,� she thought out loud.
Suddenly Saba felt depressed. �When Dingo had been right next to her, everything in the world looked beautiful. �Now everything was dark and dreary.
Saba entered the boiler room. �She saw another dog in there. �The dog was a husky; he looked kind of like Dingo. �Usually, Saba would introduce herself to the new dog in town, but she didn�t feel in the mood at that time.
Saba sighed. �She hoped that her brother would come back soon.
Chapter 2
Dingo looked up at his owner as they were walking back to his home. �The ten year old boy looked back down at his dog and shrugged. ��Mom and Dad told me to get you,� he said. �I wonder what the big news is.�
Dingo kept thinking about his owner. �The boy had owned him for about three months, which was most of Dingo�s entire lifetime. �They had been inseparable, just like how he was with Saba. �He couldn�t imagine life without the boy.
Soon Dingo and his owner had arrived back home. ��Jason, we�re in here,� the boy�s father called from the kitchen.
Jason and Dingo walked into the kitchen, where Jason�s parents were sitting around the table. ��Please, sit down,� his mom said. �Jason pulled out a chair and sat on it. �Dingo sat on the floor right next to him.
�Jason, I don�t know how to tell you this,� his father said. �It�s about Dingo.�
Dingo�s ears perked up at the mention of his name. �He wagged his tail.
�Do you remember that race earlier today?� Jason�s dad asked. �Jason nodded. �Well, there was a man named Ray Warren there. �He lives in Anchorage, and he works for the post office. �When he saw Dingo charge off after the sled dog teams today, he said to me, �Wow! �That dog of yours sure is fast. �I bet he�s strong too. �The Anchorage mail carriers could use a dog like him.��
�Yeah, I know Dingo is really fast and strong!� Jason said. �He�s the best dog in the world.� �He petted Dingo while his dad continued.
�At first, I thought that he was just complimenting Dingo,� Jason�s dad said. �But then he asked, �So, how much do you want? �I�ll give you a hundred dollars for him.� �I was going to tell him that Dingo wasn�t for sale, but then I thought for a moment. �Our heater is broken, and it�s already November. �I don�t get paid much for my job, and your mother stays home to take care of the house. �Jason, I�m sorry�I told him to come tomorrow to pick up Dingo.�
Tears sprang to Jason�s eyes. ��No!� he said. �How could you? �You sold Dingo for a hundred dollars?�
Jason�s father tried to explain. ��Jason, we need the money�� he said.
�I don�t care about money!� Jason shouted, tears running down his cheek. �Dingo is my best friend! �How could you sell him?� �He ran up to his room crying.
Jason�s mother looked sympathetic. ��Honey, you know how much Jason loves Dingo,� she said to her husband. �I know that we need money, but wasn�t there any other way?�
Jason�s father shook his head. ��This is the only way,� he said. �It�s already starting to get cold out. �If we don�t have a heater that works, we�ll freeze to death. �I know that Jason is going to miss Dingo dearly, but there�s no other choice.�
Dingo lay down on the ground. �Why were they doing this to him? �They knew that he loved Jason so much. �And what about Saba? �They had been together for their whole lives, and now they were going to be separated for the first time.
Suddenly Dingo charged out of the room. ��Come back, boy!� Jason�s dad called out.
Jason�s mom shook her head. ��Dingo and Jason have both been through a lot today,� she said. �I think that they need some time to be alone.�
Jason�s dad rolled his eyes. ��Come on,� he said. �Dingo�s just a dog. �He probably doesn�t even know what we were talking about.�
-----
Dingo arrived panting in the boiler room. �A small group of dogs had come since Saba�s arrival. ��You aren�t going to believe this!� he said. �I�� �Suddenly he broke off and closed his eyes. �Unconscious, he collapsed onto the ground.
�Dingo!� Saba shouted. �She quickly ran to get a bowl of water. �When she got back, she poured it onto him. �Are you okay?�
Dingo spat out some water and coughed. ��Yeah, I�m fine,� he said. �Well, I was going to tell you about the big news. �My owner�s father was talking to some guy at the race today and he sold me to him!�
Saba raised her eyebrows. �Something seemed wrong. ��So, where does the guy live?� she asked.
Dingo cleared his throat. ��Well�that�s the bad part,� he said. �He lives in Anchorage. �I have to live down there now.�
Saba tried to keep calm. ��You�re going to come back, right?� she asked, biting her lip.
Dingo sat silent for a moment. �Finally, he muttered, �No.�
Saba made her best attempt to hold back her tears. ��No�� she said. �It can�t be true. �You can�t go to Anchorage!�
Dingo hung his head sadly. ��It�s true,� he said. �I�m going to Anchorage�and I�m not coming back.�
Saba ran out of the boiler room, crying uncontrollably. ��It�s not fair,� she said as Dingo followed her out of the building. �How can they do this to us? �We�ve been together since we were born. �I don�t want to lose you.�
Dingo put one of his front legs around his sister. ��Don�t worry,� he said. �I�ll never forget about you. �I�ll come back. �I�ll do whatever it takes��
Chapter 3
Dingo left Saba and went back into the boiler room. �He knew that his sister would need some time to be alone and think about everything that was happening.
A million thoughts rushed around Saba�s mind. �When would Dingo leave? �Would he be able to say goodbye to her? �How would Kodi and her father find out about the whole thing?
Saba walked over to the doorway of the boiler room. �She overheard her brother talking to the other dogs. �Would this be the last time she ever heard his voice?
More tears started running down Saba�s cheek. �How would she ever be able to say goodbye to her brother?
-----
All the dogs were excited about the news Dingo had brought. �Questions began to fill the air.
�When are you leaving?�
�What are you going to do in Anchorage?�
�Who in their right mind would want to buy you?� �a mean dog named Tair asked.
Dingo glared at Tair. ��Very funny,� he said. �Well, my new owner works for the Anchorage post office. �He�s probably got some job for me. �I�m leaving tomorrow.�
The room buzzed with excitement. �Some were happy for Dingo, but others were sad to hear that he was leaving. �Tair and a small group of his friends were just happy to see him go. ��I�ve been waiting for this day for a long time,� one of them said. �Nome will be a better place when Ding-dong leaves.� �The small group laughed at their friend�s comment.
�Come on,� Tair said. �Let�s get out of here. �After tomorrow, we�ll never have to see Ding-dong�s ugly face again.�
As Tair turned to leave, an angry dog jumped to block the way between him and the door. �It was the new husky that Saba had seen when she had first entered the boiler room. ��Stop picking on Dingo,� he said, growling. �What did he ever do to you?�
Tair growled back at the dog. ��Since when do I need a reason to pick on someone?� he said. �You obviously don�t know who you�re messing with. �Now move out of my way!�
The dog stood his ground. ��I�m not moving until you apologize to Dingo,� he said.
Tair glared at the dog. ��Don�t you know who I am?� he asked. �I�m Tair. �And Tair doesn�t apologize to anyone. �If you don�t move, I�ll get you out of my way.� �Tair roughly shoved the dog to one side and began to walk out the door. �The dog slammed into the wall.
Even though the dog had injured his leg on impact against the wall, he didn�t give up. ��I don�t care who you are,� he said boldly. �I�m not afraid of you. �Leave Dingo alone!� �He painfully walked over to Tair.
Tair was reaching the end of his rope. ��I warned you,� he said. �You will be afraid of me after I get through with you.� �Snarling, he walked closer to the new dog.
Suddenly Saba came in the room and stood between Tair and the dog. ��Leave us alone!� she said. �Get out of here and take your friends with you, bully!�
Tair shivered with mock fear. ��Oh no!� he said sarcastically. �Ding-dong�s sister is out to get me! �Have mercy!� �All of the mean dogs laughed with their leader.
Saba narrowed her eyes. ��I mean it,� she said. �Now go!�
�I was about to leave anyway,� Tair said. �With a scowl, he turned to the new dog. �You�re lucky that I�m in a good mood today. �Otherwise, I would have finished you off by now. �Take my advice: stay away from me, and we�ll both be better off. �Oh, and before I forget�tell Ding-dong to learn how to stand up for himself.� �With a laugh, he walked out of the door with his friends following him.
A few moments later, Dingo walked up to the new dog. ��Thanks,� he said. �Tair�s been picking on me for weeks. �I didn�t want to stand up to him, but neither did anyone else. �Anyone who can stand up to Tair is pretty brave by my standards.�
The dog smiled. ��Thanks,� he said. �No one should have to put up with dogs like Tair. �I thought that it was about time for someone to stand up to him.� �He winced as he tested his injured leg.
�Are you okay?� Dingo asked. �I know someone that could take care of your leg.�
The dog shook his head. ��No, I�m fine,� he said. �Don�t worry about me.�
Dingo smiled. ��Wow,� he said. �I wish that I could be that tough! �Well, I have to go now and say goodbye to a few more people.� �He took a last glance at Saba and then ran out of the room.
�You�re really brave,� Saba said to the new dog. �What�s your name?�
�Josh,� said the dog. �You�re pretty brave, too. �I don�t think that Tair is going to be bothering anyone for a while.�
Saba sighed. ��I doubt it,� she said. �Tair�s a purebred bully. �He�ll probably find someone else to terrorize after my brother leaves tomorrow.� �Suddenly tears sprang to Saba�s eyes. �In all the excitement, Saba had totally forgotten about Dingo moving to Anchorage. �Now that she was thinking about it again, tears began running down her cheeks.
Josh walked next to Saba. ��Don�t worry,� he said. �I know that losing Dingo is going to hurt for you, but I�m sure you�ll make some new friends. �There are a lot of friendly dogs here in Nome.�
Saba felt slightly comforted, but she knew that no one could ever replace Dingo. �At least she had Josh now.
Chapter 4
Dingo was sitting down in his mother�s house. �Suddenly he saw Saba walking past the door outside. ��Hey, Saba!� he called out to her.
Saba didn�t respond. �She kept walking. �Dingo ran and blocked her path. ��Hello?� he said, waving a paw in front of her face. �But she didn�t notice it. �She had a blank stare in her eyes. �It was just like she was in some kind of trance.
�Wake up!� Dingo shouted, assuming that his sister was sleepwalking. �But she just walked around him and continued. �Finally Dingo sighed and gave up. �He couldn�t stop her, but he could still follow her.
Saba padded on for about twenty minutes. �By this time she had reached a steep cliff. �She just stood there, apparently waiting for something to happen. �Dingo walked up next to her. �For the first time since the journey had started, she finally seemed to notice him. ��Bye, Dingo,� she said monotonously. �Goodbye.� �Suddenly she jumped off the cliff.
�What?!� �Dingo couldn�t figure out why his sister was doing this to herself. �He quickly grabbed Saba as she began to fall.
Saba looked up at her brother. �She still had a misty look in her eyes. ��It�s time to go, Dingo,� she said. �It�s time to leave��
�Dingo! �It�s time to leave!�
Dingo woke up from the nightmare. �He found himself in the kitchen of Jason�s house, right where he had fallen asleep. �Jason was standing at the door, waiting for Dingo to get up. ��Come on, boy,� he said. �We have to go now.� �Dingo noticed that the boy had tears running down his cheeks.
Dingo slowly got up and walked to his owner. �The day had finally come. �Pretty soon the residents of Nome would only be a memory to Dingo.
Jason�s family and Dingo walked to the airplane strip of Nome. �It was the only one in the town. �Only small planes could take off and land there.
There was a plane waiting on the runway. �The driver was already ready to take off. �The only thing missing was the passenger: Dingo.
Jason went down on his knee and petted Dingo�s head. ��I�ll never forget you,� he whispered in his dog�s ear. �I hope that you�ll never forget me.� �Dingo knew that he would never forget Jason. �The boy had shown him so much kindness and affection�Dingo was convinced that he was the best owner a dog could have.
Jason stood up again. �He buried his face into his mother�s coat, staining it with tears. �She tried to console him, but he just kept crying.
Dingo was about to let Jason�s dad put him on the plane when he saw Saba watching the big spectacle. �Looking around more, he noticed a lot of dogs that had come to see him leave. �Tair was nowhere to be seen.
Saba ran up to him and they hugged each other. ��I still wish that you didn�t have to leave,� she said, crying.
�So do I,� Dingo said. �But I don�t have a choice. �Jason�s parents sold me to the man in Anchorage, and there�s nothing I can do about it.�
Dingo said his final goodbyes to the rest of the dogs, and then Jason�s father picked him up and put him in the back seat of the plane. �The propellers began spinning.
Jason waved goodbye to Dingo, and so did all of the dogs that were assembled there. �They all watched as the plane began to inch forward, and eventually built up enough speed to get off the ground. �The airplane disappeared into the horizon.
Jason�s dad walked up next to his son. ��Don�t worry,� he said. �I know that you�re going to miss Dingo, but we�ll get a new dog as soon as we can afford one.�
Jason shook his head. ��Nothing could replace Dingo,� he said. �Nothing could ever take his place.�
Jason and his family walked back home. �Most of the dogs went back to their own homes, too. �But Saba stayed behind, thinking about what would happen now. �Dingo was gone�what would she do? �He was always there for her, always there to protect her. �Suddenly she realized something. �She was fully dependent on Dingo. �Without him, she could hardly do anything. �Her survival literally depended on him.
Saba made a goal for herself that day: she was going to become independent. �It was ridiculous that she was too afraid to wander beyond the boiler room without her brother at her side.
If Dingo ever came back to Nome, he wouldn�t see the helpless dog that his sister was now. �He would see a brave, courageous dog that could take care of herself.
Chapter 5
Even though Dingo was depressed about leaving his family and friends, he couldn�t help but enjoy the plane ride. �After all, what kind of dog couldn�t enjoy soaring hundreds of feet above the ground?
Dingo thought about Anchorage during the plane ride. �What would his new owner be like? �What about the other dogs? �Surely there would be a lot of dogs in Anchorage. �Hopefully some of them would be friendly.
Although Dingo kept trying to keep from thinking about the life he had left behind, his mind kept on drifting back to it. �He thought about Saba, and all that they had been through together. �He thought about Jason, his affectionate owner. �Then he thought about Kodi and his father. �He never even got to say goodbye to them.
The amazing height was starting to have an effect on Dingo. �Soon he felt dizzy and light-headed. ��I won�t notice it if I�m asleep,� he thought. �So he fell asleep for the rest of the plane ride, despite the loud noise of the engine.
Once again, Dingo was troubled in his dreams. �This time, he was walking around Nome. �But for some reason, everyone was gone. �Jenna wasn�t home; she wasn�t anywhere. �There weren�t any dogs in the boiler room; there weren�t any dogs anywhere else, either. ��Hello?� said Dingo in his sleep. �Is anyone there?�
The pilot thought that he saw Dingo�s lips move in the rearview mirror. ��It�s official,� he muttered to himself. �I�m going insane!�
-----
Saba lay down in her small bed. �She was too depressed to hang out in the boiler room. �When Tair came to torment her, she didn�t even notice him at first.
�Aww,� he said sarcastically. �Look. �Saba misses Ding-dong.�
�Awwwwwww,� said a small group of mean dogs that had come with Tair. �Then they began to laugh hysterically.
�Hi, Tair,� Saba said. �She was too sad to care about what he said.
Tair was at a loss. �Whenever he made fun of someone, they always got angry at him. �Why wasn�t she mad? ��I don�t see how anyone could miss Ding-dong,� he said, making another attempt to aggravate her. �Unless you�re his freak sister, apparently.�
�His name is Dingo,� Saba said calmly. �You would miss Dingo too, if you weren�t such a cold-hearted jerk.�
�Do you really think that I care about being a jerk?� Tair asked. �I actually like being called a jerk. �It�s almost like a compliment.�
Saba shook her head and sighed in exasperation. ��Of course, only Tair would like being called a jerk,� she thought. �Then she got an idea.
�Actually, you�re not always a jerk,� she said. �I bet that you�ve got some good in you. �You just don�t want to let it show.�
Tair narrowed his eyes. ��Trust me,� he said, growling. �There�s no good in me. �And I want to keep it that way.�
Saba smiled to herself. �Tair was falling right into her trap. ��Sure there is!� she said. �I bet that you could be the nicest dog in Nome if you tried to be.�
Tair began snarling. ��I�m warning you,� he said.
Saba grinned at him. ��Come and get me!� she said.
Tair tried to pounce on Saba, but another dog got between them. �Saba was surprised to see that her rescuer was Josh. �She was also angry.
Josh roughly shoved Tair aside. ��If you ever attack her again�� he began.
Tair got up shakily and glared at Josh. ��I thought I told you to stay out of my way,� he growled.
�Stay away from Saba, and I�ll stay away from you,� Josh snapped back. �Now get out of here.�
Tair rolled his eyes and walked out of the door. �The other dogs followed him. ��Are you okay?� Josh asked Saba.
She glared at him. ��What was that for?� she asked. �I could�ve handled him. �You should have just given me a chance.�
Josh shook his head. ��Trust me,� he said. �Tair�s a lot stronger than you think. �Don�t you realize that I just saved your life?�
�I know that I could�ve taken care of him!� Saba said. �I�m trying to be independent, but you�re not giving me the chance!�
�You�re taking this too fast,� Josh said, trying to keep calm. �I was just trying to save you from Tair.�
Saba began to stomp angrily out of the room. ��What if I don�t want to be saved from Tair?� she asked. �I don�t need your help.� �She ran out of the room.
Saba ran to the boiler room. �Luckily, she was the only dog there. �She found a spot to lie down in the corner. �Then she cried.
-----
When Dingo woke up, he looked down and saw tall buildings all around the surrounding area. �They had finally arrived in Anchorage. �But where would they land?
The pilot continued to fly around for a few minutes. �When he caught site of the landing strip, he said something into his radio. �He flew around for a while, until someone answered him. �Then he braced himself as he landed the plane.
�Welcome to Anchorage,� the pilot said.
Chapter 6
Dingo gazed at his surroundings in awe. �The Anchorage airport was more crowded than any place he had ever seen. �There were probably more people in the airport than the population of Nome. �Dingo gulped as the pilot led him through the crowds on a leash. �Was the whole city going to be this crowded?
Dingo soon got an answer for his question. �There were people everywhere! �Everywhere you looked, there was at least one group of people. �In Nome, there would be groups of streets where you would only see one or two people walking around.
The pilot led Dingo to a small, rundown house. �He knocked on the door.
Dingo was sizing up all of the dogs that he saw. �Most of them looked mean, but there were a few that looked friendly. �One dog (Dingo guessed that it was female) even came up to him to talk. �But someone had opened the door, so before Dingo or the other dog could say anything, the pilot tugged on Dingo�s leash.
Dingo yelped, but the pilot didn�t notice. �The person who had opened the door was a tall man, a lot taller than Jason�s dad (who was the average height for his age). �The man took Dingo�s leash from the pilot. �Dingo felt uncomfortable while the man was holding his leash. �He didn�t trust him.
�Here,� said the man to the pilot, handing him a quarter.
The pilot was shocked. ��Is that it?� he asked. �That�s nothing! �I have a family to take care of at home, and I need to keep my plane in good repair��
The man laughed in his face. ��Do you really think I care?� he said. �I don�t care if you have a hundred kids in your family. �I�m only paying five dollars.�
The pilot walked off in a huff. �The man at the door fiercely tugged at Dingo�s leash so that Dingo almost flew through the doorway.
Dingo sized up the man in front of him. ��This must be Ray Warren,� he thought. �I hope that he�s not always this mean��
�Hey, Sandy!� Warren called out. �Come and see what I�ve got for you.�
Dingo saw a young girl come charging in from the kitchen. �She must have been about Jason�s age, probably a little younger. �She was incredibly skinny and apparently underfed. �Even though she looked miserable, her face lighted up when she saw Dingo. �She gasped in surprise. ��A puppy!� she said happily. �You got me a puppy! �I love him!� �She hugged Dingo�s neck.
Meanwhile, Warren and his wife were talking in the kitchen. ��I told them that I was going to use him for the mail service,� he said. �They fell for it!�
�Good,� the wife said. �They won�t suspect a thing. �That�ll make our job easier.�
Dingo knew that the Warrens were talking about him, but he didn�t understand what they were saying. �Wasn�t Warren going to use him for mail service? �Was he just lying? �What job was Mrs. Warren talking about? ��Only time will tell,� Dingo finally decided.
Sandy was still clinging onto Dingo. ��You�re my first pet ever,� she said. �I�ve always wanted a dog, but Daddy wouldn�t let me have one until now. �This is the best thing that�s ever happened to me!�
Sandy turned to her father. ��What�s his name?� she asked.
He shrugged. ��Dingo, I think,� he said.
Sandy smiled. ��Okay,� she said. �I like your name, Dingo.� �Then she ran back to her room, calling out behind her, �Come on, Dingo! �I want to show you my room!�
Dingo enthusiastically followed his new owner to her room. �Mrs. Warren smiled as she watched the young girl and her new dog. ��I think that she�s really going to get attached to that dog,� she commented to her husband. �She�ll be so miserable after we�� �She shuddered at the thought.
�She�ll get over it,� Warren replied unsympathetically. �It�s just a dog. �Besides, we have to wait until the dog is fully grown, and that won�t happen for a month or two yet.�
Mrs. Warren shook her head. ��Poor Sandy,� she said. �We�ve never let her have a pet before. �The only reason that we�re letting her have Dingo is because we need him to��
Warren hushed his wife. ��Sandy might be listening,� he said. �We don�t want her to know about this until she�s ready.�
-----
Dingo looked around Sandy�s room. �It had a stone floor and stone walls. �Apparently the heater didn�t work in this room-it was freezing. �Sandy jumped onto her bed, which only had one thin blanket covering it. �Dingo wondered why Sandy hadn�t died yet in these horrible living conditions.
Sandy showed Dingo everything in her room-there wasn�t much. �She had a small nightstand with a black and white picture of the family. �Dingo was very interested in the picture. �Suddenly he noticed something strange in the photo. �Sandy was sitting on her bed, watching him. �He nudged her and pointed his nose toward the picture. �Sandy understood.
�That�s my family,� she said. �I was pretty young then. �I think I was only four years old�I�m nine now. �There�s my mom and my dad, and there�s me, and there�s�� �Suddenly she couldn�t speak. �She was pointing to the strange thing in the picture: a boy. �Dingo had found it strange because he hadn�t seen a boy since he entered the house. �Where was he?
Dingo stopped thinking about the strange boy for a moment and looked at Sandy. �She was crying. ��That�s my brother,� she said through tears. �Well, at least he was my brother. �My parents put him up for adoption the year after this picture was taken. �I�ve missed him ever since.�
Dingo felt sorry for the girl and nuzzled her. �She felt somewhat comforted, but she continued crying. ��I don�t even remember his name anymore,� she said. �That was such a long time ago.�
For some reason, the boy looked familiar to Dingo. �It looked like someone he knew. �But who?
Chapter 7
�Come on, mutt,� Warren called. �I�ll show you where you�re going to live now.� �Dingo reluctantly followed him out the door and to the backyard.
�Dad, can�t Dingo live in my room?� Sandy asked pleadingly.
Warren rolled his eyes. ��It�s a dog, Sandy,� he said. �He should live outside. �Dogs belong in the backyard, and growing girls belong inside.
Dingo suddenly felt angry, thinking about what Warren had said. �He didn�t see much of a difference between the cold outdoors and Sandy�s room. ��They should let her live outside,� he thought. �Anything is better than that freezing, miserable room.�
When they were in the backyard, Warren tied Dingo to a rope that was connected to a stake in the ground. ��That should hold him,� he said with satisfaction.
�Dad, do we really have to tie up Dingo?� asked Sandy. �That rope is really short�shouldn�t we just let Dingo walk around the yard and keep an eye on him so he doesn�t run away?�
Warren slapped his daughter across the face. �As she began to cry in pain, he said, �How dare you oppose your father! �If I say that Dingo should be tied up, then Dingo should be tied up. �Now go to your room!�
Sandy ran back inside, crying. �Warren grinned evilly at Dingo. ��Hello, boy,� he said. �You�re going to make me a fortune, so don�t go running off, now!�
Dingo growled at the man. �He didn�t know what Warren was going to do to him, but he didn�t trust him and knew that it was probably something bad.
Warren walked away, laughing. �Dingo lay down and thought about his new owners. �Sandy was nice. �In ways, she reminded him of Jason. �However, Warren seemed like the exact opposite. �When the man was near, Dingo felt a chill go down his body.
Suddenly Dingo�s thoughts were interrupted when a loud crash disturbed the quiet neighborhood. �He looked up and saw that a dog had been inside a trash can, spying on him. �Now the trash can had tipped over, bringing the dog down with it. �Dingo recognized the stranger as the dog that had tried to talk to him when he was walking through Anchorage earlier. ��Hi,� he said. �Who are you?�
The dog walked over to him with a proud look on its face. ��My name is Liko Ria,� it said. �Dingo realized that he had been correct in guessing that it was female. �What is yours?�
�I am Dingo Balto,� Dingo replied. �I just moved here from��
�Yes, I know-Nome,� Liko said. �When she saw that Dingo was shocked to see that she possessed such knowledge, she said, �Hey, word travels fast here. �I probably knew who your new owner was before you did.� �Dingo realized that he wouldn�t be very surprised if what she had just said was true.
�So, do you want to have a tour of the city?� Liko asked. �Dingo motioned at the rope that restricted him from running away. ��Oh, don�t worry about that,� Liko said. �I�ve bitten through ropes twice the size of that before.�
Dingo watched in wonder as Liko gnawed through the rope tied to his neck. �Soon the rope lay limp on the ground, and Dingo was free. ��Thanks,� he said. �Let�s go!�
Dingo and Liko were soon running through the streets of Anchorage, with Liko pointing out different people and places.
�That�s Sprinter,� she said, pointing a dog that looked friendly. �He definitely lives up to his name! �He�s the fastest dog in the whole city. �I�m glad that he�s on our side, not theirs.�
Dingo was puzzled about the last thing Liko had said, but after she pointed out a few more dogs, he realized what she was talking about. �In Anchorage, there were two groups of dogs: one was a friendly bunch, but the other was a group of bullies. �Liko was part of the friendly group, and so was Sprinter. �Dingo expected that they would also accept him into their group.
The other group was led by a huge dog named Seno. �From what Dingo had heard about him, Seno made Tair look like an angel. �Dingo decided that his stay in Anchorage would probably be a lot more enjoyable if he stayed away from Seno.
Dingo was also puzzled about something else. �He was expecting many dogs in Anchorage, but he had only seen a handful on the streets of the city. �Where were the others? �Had he made a mistake in assuming that there were a lot of dogs in Anchorage?
Liko soon provided the answer for his question. �At one point during the day, she led him down an alley. �After making sure that no one saw them, she crawled into a hole underneath a building. �Dingo followed her.
Dingo soon found himself in a small, crowded place with a lot of dogs lying down or walking around. �In some ways, it reminded him of the boiler room. �However, it was different, too: the boiler room was a large room, but this place was only about three feet tall. �It was also colder in this place (obviously, because it was underground and had no heat source).
Liko turned around and lay down in front of him. �He followed her example. ��Well, what do you think?� she asked. �It�s good to have a place where Seno and his followers can�t disturb us.�
�It reminds me of a place that we had in Nome,� Dingo said thoughtfully. �But Tair, the ringleader of the mean dogs back in Nome, knew about it, so we could never get away from him. �I like this idea�if I ever go back to Nome, I have to find a place like this where we can get away from Tair.�
Liko paled. ��What�s wrong?� Dingo asked.
�Well�� Liko had trouble beginning. �I have to tell you something about your owner.� �She sighed. �If his plan works, you�re never going back to Nome.�
Prologue
Dingo looked around himself and smiled. �The small Alaskan town of Nome was buzzing with excitement. �Everyone knew why, of course: Dingo�s dad, Balto, along with his brother, Kodi, and a few other dogs were preparing for a huge sled dog team race. �Balto and Kodi were the two most famous sled dogs in the land of Alaska, not to mention the fastest.
Dingo�s thoughts were interrupted by a warm voice. ��Dingo, you�re going to miss the race!� the voice called to him from not far away. �Don�t you want to wish Dad and Kodi good luck?�
Dingo recognized his sister Saba walking toward him and grinned. ��Okay, okay, I�m coming,� he said. �Then he added with a sneer, �You know, you remind me of mom. �You�re both slave-drivers!� �He rolled around in the snow, laughing hysterically.
�Ha, ha, ha,� Saba said, rolling her eyes. �Apparently, she hadn�t enjoyed the little joke as much as her brother. �Come on, Ding-dong!�
Dingo got off of the ground and approached his sister. ��Oh, you�re going to pay for saying that!� he said, faking an angry look on his face. �Then he pounced on his sister and knocked her over. �This time they were both rolling around on the ground and laughing.
The two dogs were playfully fighting with each other until they heard a gunshot. �Saba wiggled out of her brother�s grasp and gasped. ��Way to go, Ding-dong,� she said, pretending to be mad at him. �Now we missed the start of the race!�
Before Saba could figure out what was happening, her brother had grabbed her and was running toward the huge crowd at the starting line. ��We haven�t missed it yet!� he shouted, panting.
Dingo weaved through the crowd at a rapid pace, with Saba close behind. �When he had got past the massive amount of people and animals, he started running after the sled dog teams. �Saba let go of him. ��What are you doing?� she screamed. �Get off of the track! �Are you crazy?�
�Nah,� Dingo called over his shoulder. �I�m not crazy. �I just want to wish Dad and Kodi good luck!�
As she stood watching her brother run into the distance, Saba shook her head. ��My brother has completely lost it,� she muttered.
-----
Dingo panted hard. �He had almost caught up to the sled dogs now. �There were two teams: one lead by Balto, and the other by Kodi. �Right now, Kodi�s team was in the lead.
Dingo sprinted faster. �Now he was even with the last dog on Balto�s team. �Pretty soon he began to gain on the team until he was alongside his father.
Balto was definitely surprised. ��What are you doing here, Dingo?� he yelled. �You need to get back with your family!�
Dingo smiled as he kept an even pace with his father. ��I just wanted to wish you good luck, Dad!� he shouted. �Bye, I�ll see you in a few days!� �Dingo waved to his dad, and then picked up speed to catch up with Kodi.
Kodi grinned when he saw his brother. ��Sorry, Dingo, but it�s kind of late to join the team now!� he yelled with a smile. �Wow, you can run pretty fast!�
�Hey, Kodi!� Dingo shouted back to his brother. �No, I don�t want to join your team�-(he laughed at this point)-�I just wanted to say good luck! �I�ll see you in a few days when the race is over!� �Then Dingo swerved to the left to get off of the racetrack. �He caught his breath as he watched the two dog teams sprint past.
A few minutes after the last dog had passed out of view, Dingo got up again and ran home. �Halfway to his destination, he saw Saba running out to meet him.
�You are such an idiot!� she said playfully. �Why did you even think you could catch up to two of the fastest sled dog teams in the world?�
Dingo shrugged. ��I don�t know, but I did,� he said. �I just wanted to say goodbye to Dad and Kodi. �You got a problem with that?� he added, pushing his sister playfully.
Saba returned her brother�s little shove. ��No,� she said, smiling.
The brother and sister walked back to Nome in silence. �Saba tried to think of something to say, but she was enjoying the peaceful quietness of the Alaskan frontier.
Saba dug her nose into the soft hair on Dingo�s back. �His fur was nice and smooth. �
Saba didn�t know what she would ever do without her brother. �They were more than just siblings. �If she ever lost him, she would be completely devastated.
Little did she know what was going to happen to her and her brother in the next few days�
Chapter 1
Dingo and Saba ran into Jenna�s home and shook themselves dry. �Jenna, who was lying by the fire, didn�t really look happy to see her son and daughter fling snow around the nice, warm room. ��Where have you been?� she asked worriedly. �The race began an hour ago. �I was so worried about you two!�
Dingo smiled and put an arm around his sister�s neck. ��Aw, don�t worry, Mom,� he said. �You know that you don�t have to worry about little Saba getting in trouble when I�m around.�
Saba escaped from her brother�s grip and rolled her eyes. ��Yeah, sure,� she said. �You�re so responsible. �Like when you ran into Rosie two days ago and knocked her over.�
�What did you do?� Jenna said, shocked.
Dingo stepped hard on his sister�s front paw. ��Oh, nothing,� he said.
Jenna rolled her eyes. ��Well, just tell me before you sneak away like that next time, okay?� she said. �Dingo and Saba nodded.
�Mom, I can take care of Saba,� Dingo said. �Don�t worry about it! �Mom, we�re already five months old. �We can take care of ourselves now.�
�Dingo, stop acting like you�re responsible for me,� Saba said. �You�re only nine minutes older than I am.�
�Oh, come on, Saba,� Dingo said. �You have to admit it. �You would be dead by now if it wasn�t for me!�
Saba knew that her brother was right. �She was always getting into bad situations, and her brother had saved her each time. �Now she was stuck. ��Uh�hey, Dingo, want to go to the boiler room?� she asked, hoping to change the subject.
Dingo and Jenna smiled at each other. �Saba just didn�t want to admit that she needed her brother so much. ��Sure, I�ll go,� said Dingo. �I�ll see you later, Mom.�
�Bye, Mom!� Saba cried out as she ran out of the door with her brother close behind. �As soon as they were both outside, she turned to her brother and said, �Let�s race!�
The two dogs ran as fast as they could toward the boiler room. �Dingo was pulling ahead of his sister, but then he came to a halting stop. �Saba saw her brother stop and stopped herself. ��What�s wrong?� she thought.
�Dingo! �Here, boy!� a voice was shouting. �Dingo ran to his owner and wagged his tail. ��I have some big news for you, boy,� his owner said, patting him on the head.
Dingo started to follow his owner back to his home. �He turned around and shrugged at Saba. �She shrugged back.
Saba turned around and kept walking. ��I guess I�ll just have to go to the boiler room by myself today,� she thought out loud.
Suddenly Saba felt depressed. �When Dingo had been right next to her, everything in the world looked beautiful. �Now everything was dark and dreary.
Saba entered the boiler room. �She saw another dog in there. �The dog was a husky; he looked kind of like Dingo. �Usually, Saba would introduce herself to the new dog in town, but she didn�t feel in the mood at that time.
Saba sighed. �She hoped that her brother would come back soon.
Chapter 2
Dingo looked up at his owner as they were walking back to his home. �The ten year old boy looked back down at his dog and shrugged. ��Mom and Dad told me to get you,� he said. �I wonder what the big news is.�
Dingo kept thinking about his owner. �The boy had owned him for about three months, which was most of Dingo�s entire lifetime. �They had been inseparable, just like how he was with Saba. �He couldn�t imagine life without the boy.
Soon Dingo and his owner had arrived back home. ��Jason, we�re in here,� the boy�s father called from the kitchen.
Jason and Dingo walked into the kitchen, where Jason�s parents were sitting around the table. ��Please, sit down,� his mom said. �Jason pulled out a chair and sat on it. �Dingo sat on the floor right next to him.
�Jason, I don�t know how to tell you this,� his father said. �It�s about Dingo.�
Dingo�s ears perked up at the mention of his name. �He wagged his tail.
�Do you remember that race earlier today?� Jason�s dad asked. �Jason nodded. �Well, there was a man named Ray Warren there. �He lives in Anchorage, and he works for the post office. �When he saw Dingo charge off after the sled dog teams today, he said to me, �Wow! �That dog of yours sure is fast. �I bet he�s strong too. �The Anchorage mail carriers could use a dog like him.��
�Yeah, I know Dingo is really fast and strong!� Jason said. �He�s the best dog in the world.� �He petted Dingo while his dad continued.
�At first, I thought that he was just complimenting Dingo,� Jason�s dad said. �But then he asked, �So, how much do you want? �I�ll give you a hundred dollars for him.� �I was going to tell him that Dingo wasn�t for sale, but then I thought for a moment. �Our heater is broken, and it�s already November. �I don�t get paid much for my job, and your mother stays home to take care of the house. �Jason, I�m sorry�I told him to come tomorrow to pick up Dingo.�
Tears sprang to Jason�s eyes. ��No!� he said. �How could you? �You sold Dingo for a hundred dollars?�
Jason�s father tried to explain. ��Jason, we need the money�� he said.
�I don�t care about money!� Jason shouted, tears running down his cheek. �Dingo is my best friend! �How could you sell him?� �He ran up to his room crying.
Jason�s mother looked sympathetic. ��Honey, you know how much Jason loves Dingo,� she said to her husband. �I know that we need money, but wasn�t there any other way?�
Jason�s father shook his head. ��This is the only way,� he said. �It�s already starting to get cold out. �If we don�t have a heater that works, we�ll freeze to death. �I know that Jason is going to miss Dingo dearly, but there�s no other choice.�
Dingo lay down on the ground. �Why were they doing this to him? �They knew that he loved Jason so much. �And what about Saba? �They had been together for their whole lives, and now they were going to be separated for the first time.
Suddenly Dingo charged out of the room. ��Come back, boy!� Jason�s dad called out.
Jason�s mom shook her head. ��Dingo and Jason have both been through a lot today,� she said. �I think that they need some time to be alone.�
Jason�s dad rolled his eyes. ��Come on,� he said. �Dingo�s just a dog. �He probably doesn�t even know what we were talking about.�
-----
Dingo arrived panting in the boiler room. �A small group of dogs had come since Saba�s arrival. ��You aren�t going to believe this!� he said. �I�� �Suddenly he broke off and closed his eyes. �Unconscious, he collapsed onto the ground.
�Dingo!� Saba shouted. �She quickly ran to get a bowl of water. �When she got back, she poured it onto him. �Are you okay?�
Dingo spat out some water and coughed. ��Yeah, I�m fine,� he said. �Well, I was going to tell you about the big news. �My owner�s father was talking to some guy at the race today and he sold me to him!�
Saba raised her eyebrows. �Something seemed wrong. ��So, where does the guy live?� she asked.
Dingo cleared his throat. ��Well�that�s the bad part,� he said. �He lives in Anchorage. �I have to live down there now.�
Saba tried to keep calm. ��You�re going to come back, right?� she asked, biting her lip.
Dingo sat silent for a moment. �Finally, he muttered, �No.�
Saba made her best attempt to hold back her tears. ��No�� she said. �It can�t be true. �You can�t go to Anchorage!�
Dingo hung his head sadly. ��It�s true,� he said. �I�m going to Anchorage�and I�m not coming back.�
Saba ran out of the boiler room, crying uncontrollably. ��It�s not fair,� she said as Dingo followed her out of the building. �How can they do this to us? �We�ve been together since we were born. �I don�t want to lose you.�
Dingo put one of his front legs around his sister. ��Don�t worry,� he said. �I�ll never forget about you. �I�ll come back. �I�ll do whatever it takes��
Chapter 3
Dingo left Saba and went back into the boiler room. �He knew that his sister would need some time to be alone and think about everything that was happening.
A million thoughts rushed around Saba�s mind. �When would Dingo leave? �Would he be able to say goodbye to her? �How would Kodi and her father find out about the whole thing?
Saba walked over to the doorway of the boiler room. �She overheard her brother talking to the other dogs. �Would this be the last time she ever heard his voice?
More tears started running down Saba�s cheek. �How would she ever be able to say goodbye to her brother?
-----
All the dogs were excited about the news Dingo had brought. �Questions began to fill the air.
�When are you leaving?�
�What are you going to do in Anchorage?�
�Who in their right mind would want to buy you?� �a mean dog named Tair asked.
Dingo glared at Tair. ��Very funny,� he said. �Well, my new owner works for the Anchorage post office. �He�s probably got some job for me. �I�m leaving tomorrow.�
The room buzzed with excitement. �Some were happy for Dingo, but others were sad to hear that he was leaving. �Tair and a small group of his friends were just happy to see him go. ��I�ve been waiting for this day for a long time,� one of them said. �Nome will be a better place when Ding-dong leaves.� �The small group laughed at their friend�s comment.
�Come on,� Tair said. �Let�s get out of here. �After tomorrow, we�ll never have to see Ding-dong�s ugly face again.�
As Tair turned to leave, an angry dog jumped to block the way between him and the door. �It was the new husky that Saba had seen when she had first entered the boiler room. ��Stop picking on Dingo,� he said, growling. �What did he ever do to you?�
Tair growled back at the dog. ��Since when do I need a reason to pick on someone?� he said. �You obviously don�t know who you�re messing with. �Now move out of my way!�
The dog stood his ground. ��I�m not moving until you apologize to Dingo,� he said.
Tair glared at the dog. ��Don�t you know who I am?� he asked. �I�m Tair. �And Tair doesn�t apologize to anyone. �If you don�t move, I�ll get you out of my way.� �Tair roughly shoved the dog to one side and began to walk out the door. �The dog slammed into the wall.
Even though the dog had injured his leg on impact against the wall, he didn�t give up. ��I don�t care who you are,� he said boldly. �I�m not afraid of you. �Leave Dingo alone!� �He painfully walked over to Tair.
Tair was reaching the end of his rope. ��I warned you,� he said. �You will be afraid of me after I get through with you.� �Snarling, he walked closer to the new dog.
Suddenly Saba came in the room and stood between Tair and the dog. ��Leave us alone!� she said. �Get out of here and take your friends with you, bully!�
Tair shivered with mock fear. ��Oh no!� he said sarcastically. �Ding-dong�s sister is out to get me! �Have mercy!� �All of the mean dogs laughed with their leader.
Saba narrowed her eyes. ��I mean it,� she said. �Now go!�
�I was about to leave anyway,� Tair said. �With a scowl, he turned to the new dog. �You�re lucky that I�m in a good mood today. �Otherwise, I would have finished you off by now. �Take my advice: stay away from me, and we�ll both be better off. �Oh, and before I forget�tell Ding-dong to learn how to stand up for himself.� �With a laugh, he walked out of the door with his friends following him.
A few moments later, Dingo walked up to the new dog. ��Thanks,� he said. �Tair�s been picking on me for weeks. �I didn�t want to stand up to him, but neither did anyone else. �Anyone who can stand up to Tair is pretty brave by my standards.�
The dog smiled. ��Thanks,� he said. �No one should have to put up with dogs like Tair. �I thought that it was about time for someone to stand up to him.� �He winced as he tested his injured leg.
�Are you okay?� Dingo asked. �I know someone that could take care of your leg.�
The dog shook his head. ��No, I�m fine,� he said. �Don�t worry about me.�
Dingo smiled. ��Wow,� he said. �I wish that I could be that tough! �Well, I have to go now and say goodbye to a few more people.� �He took a last glance at Saba and then ran out of the room.
�You�re really brave,� Saba said to the new dog. �What�s your name?�
�Josh,� said the dog. �You�re pretty brave, too. �I don�t think that Tair is going to be bothering anyone for a while.�
Saba sighed. ��I doubt it,� she said. �Tair�s a purebred bully. �He�ll probably find someone else to terrorize after my brother leaves tomorrow.� �Suddenly tears sprang to Saba�s eyes. �In all the excitement, Saba had totally forgotten about Dingo moving to Anchorage. �Now that she was thinking about it again, tears began running down her cheeks.
Josh walked next to Saba. ��Don�t worry,� he said. �I know that losing Dingo is going to hurt for you, but I�m sure you�ll make some new friends. �There are a lot of friendly dogs here in Nome.�
Saba felt slightly comforted, but she knew that no one could ever replace Dingo. �At least she had Josh now.
Chapter 4
Dingo was sitting down in his mother�s house. �Suddenly he saw Saba walking past the door outside. ��Hey, Saba!� he called out to her.
Saba didn�t respond. �She kept walking. �Dingo ran and blocked her path. ��Hello?� he said, waving a paw in front of her face. �But she didn�t notice it. �She had a blank stare in her eyes. �It was just like she was in some kind of trance.
�Wake up!� Dingo shouted, assuming that his sister was sleepwalking. �But she just walked around him and continued. �Finally Dingo sighed and gave up. �He couldn�t stop her, but he could still follow her.
Saba padded on for about twenty minutes. �By this time she had reached a steep cliff. �She just stood there, apparently waiting for something to happen. �Dingo walked up next to her. �For the first time since the journey had started, she finally seemed to notice him. ��Bye, Dingo,� she said monotonously. �Goodbye.� �Suddenly she jumped off the cliff.
�What?!� �Dingo couldn�t figure out why his sister was doing this to herself. �He quickly grabbed Saba as she began to fall.
Saba looked up at her brother. �She still had a misty look in her eyes. ��It�s time to go, Dingo,� she said. �It�s time to leave��
�Dingo! �It�s time to leave!�
Dingo woke up from the nightmare. �He found himself in the kitchen of Jason�s house, right where he had fallen asleep. �Jason was standing at the door, waiting for Dingo to get up. ��Come on, boy,� he said. �We have to go now.� �Dingo noticed that the boy had tears running down his cheeks.
Dingo slowly got up and walked to his owner. �The day had finally come. �Pretty soon the residents of Nome would only be a memory to Dingo.
Jason�s family and Dingo walked to the airplane strip of Nome. �It was the only one in the town. �Only small planes could take off and land there.
There was a plane waiting on the runway. �The driver was already ready to take off. �The only thing missing was the passenger: Dingo.
Jason went down on his knee and petted Dingo�s head. ��I�ll never forget you,� he whispered in his dog�s ear. �I hope that you�ll never forget me.� �Dingo knew that he would never forget Jason. �The boy had shown him so much kindness and affection�Dingo was convinced that he was the best owner a dog could have.
Jason stood up again. �He buried his face into his mother�s coat, staining it with tears. �She tried to console him, but he just kept crying.
Dingo was about to let Jason�s dad put him on the plane when he saw Saba watching the big spectacle. �Looking around more, he noticed a lot of dogs that had come to see him leave. �Tair was nowhere to be seen.
Saba ran up to him and they hugged each other. ��I still wish that you didn�t have to leave,� she said, crying.
�So do I,� Dingo said. �But I don�t have a choice. �Jason�s parents sold me to the man in Anchorage, and there�s nothing I can do about it.�
Dingo said his final goodbyes to the rest of the dogs, and then Jason�s father picked him up and put him in the back seat of the plane. �The propellers began spinning.
Jason waved goodbye to Dingo, and so did all of the dogs that were assembled there. �They all watched as the plane began to inch forward, and eventually built up enough speed to get off the ground. �The airplane disappeared into the horizon.
Jason�s dad walked up next to his son. ��Don�t worry,� he said. �I know that you�re going to miss Dingo, but we�ll get a new dog as soon as we can afford one.�
Jason shook his head. ��Nothing could replace Dingo,� he said. �Nothing could ever take his place.�
Jason and his family walked back home. �Most of the dogs went back to their own homes, too. �But Saba stayed behind, thinking about what would happen now. �Dingo was gone�what would she do? �He was always there for her, always there to protect her. �Suddenly she realized something. �She was fully dependent on Dingo. �Without him, she could hardly do anything. �Her survival literally depended on him.
Saba made a goal for herself that day: she was going to become independent. �It was ridiculous that she was too afraid to wander beyond the boiler room without her brother at her side.
If Dingo ever came back to Nome, he wouldn�t see the helpless dog that his sister was now. �He would see a brave, courageous dog that could take care of herself.
Chapter 5
Even though Dingo was depressed about leaving his family and friends, he couldn�t help but enjoy the plane ride. �After all, what kind of dog couldn�t enjoy soaring hundreds of feet above the ground?
Dingo thought about Anchorage during the plane ride. �What would his new owner be like? �What about the other dogs? �Surely there would be a lot of dogs in Anchorage. �Hopefully some of them would be friendly.
Although Dingo kept trying to keep from thinking about the life he had left behind, his mind kept on drifting back to it. �He thought about Saba, and all that they had been through together. �He thought about Jason, his affectionate owner. �Then he thought about Kodi and his father. �He never even got to say goodbye to them.
The amazing height was starting to have an effect on Dingo. �Soon he felt dizzy and light-headed. ��I won�t notice it if I�m asleep,� he thought. �So he fell asleep for the rest of the plane ride, despite the loud noise of the engine.
Once again, Dingo was troubled in his dreams. �This time, he was walking around Nome. �But for some reason, everyone was gone. �Jenna wasn�t home; she wasn�t anywhere. �There weren�t any dogs in the boiler room; there weren�t any dogs anywhere else, either. ��Hello?� said Dingo in his sleep. �Is anyone there?�
The pilot thought that he saw Dingo�s lips move in the rearview mirror. ��It�s official,� he muttered to himself. �I�m going insane!�
-----
Saba lay down in her small bed. �She was too depressed to hang out in the boiler room. �When Tair came to torment her, she didn�t even notice him at first.
�Aww,� he said sarcastically. �Look. �Saba misses Ding-dong.�
�Awwwwwww,� said a small group of mean dogs that had come with Tair. �Then they began to laugh hysterically.
�Hi, Tair,� Saba said. �She was too sad to care about what he said.
Tair was at a loss. �Whenever he made fun of someone, they always got angry at him. �Why wasn�t she mad? ��I don�t see how anyone could miss Ding-dong,� he said, making another attempt to aggravate her. �Unless you�re his freak sister, apparently.�
�His name is Dingo,� Saba said calmly. �You would miss Dingo too, if you weren�t such a cold-hearted jerk.�
�Do you really think that I care about being a jerk?� Tair asked. �I actually like being called a jerk. �It�s almost like a compliment.�
Saba shook her head and sighed in exasperation. ��Of course, only Tair would like being called a jerk,� she thought. �Then she got an idea.
�Actually, you�re not always a jerk,� she said. �I bet that you�ve got some good in you. �You just don�t want to let it show.�
Tair narrowed his eyes. ��Trust me,� he said, growling. �There�s no good in me. �And I want to keep it that way.�
Saba smiled to herself. �Tair was falling right into her trap. ��Sure there is!� she said. �I bet that you could be the nicest dog in Nome if you tried to be.�
Tair began snarling. ��I�m warning you,� he said.
Saba grinned at him. ��Come and get me!� she said.
Tair tried to pounce on Saba, but another dog got between them. �Saba was surprised to see that her rescuer was Josh. �She was also angry.
Josh roughly shoved Tair aside. ��If you ever attack her again�� he began.
Tair got up shakily and glared at Josh. ��I thought I told you to stay out of my way,� he growled.
�Stay away from Saba, and I�ll stay away from you,� Josh snapped back. �Now get out of here.�
Tair rolled his eyes and walked out of the door. �The other dogs followed him. ��Are you okay?� Josh asked Saba.
She glared at him. ��What was that for?� she asked. �I could�ve handled him. �You should have just given me a chance.�
Josh shook his head. ��Trust me,� he said. �Tair�s a lot stronger than you think. �Don�t you realize that I just saved your life?�
�I know that I could�ve taken care of him!� Saba said. �I�m trying to be independent, but you�re not giving me the chance!�
�You�re taking this too fast,� Josh said, trying to keep calm. �I was just trying to save you from Tair.�
Saba began to stomp angrily out of the room. ��What if I don�t want to be saved from Tair?� she asked. �I don�t need your help.� �She ran out of the room.
Saba ran to the boiler room. �Luckily, she was the only dog there. �She found a spot to lie down in the corner. �Then she cried.
-----
When Dingo woke up, he looked down and saw tall buildings all around the surrounding area. �They had finally arrived in Anchorage. �But where would they land?
The pilot continued to fly around for a few minutes. �When he caught site of the landing strip, he said something into his radio. �He flew around for a while, until someone answered him. �Then he braced himself as he landed the plane.
�Welcome to Anchorage,� the pilot said.
Chapter 6
Dingo gazed at his surroundings in awe. �The Anchorage airport was more crowded than any place he had ever seen. �There were probably more people in the airport than the population of Nome. �Dingo gulped as the pilot led him through the crowds on a leash. �Was the whole city going to be this crowded?
Dingo soon got an answer for his question. �There were people everywhere! �Everywhere you looked, there was at least one group of people. �In Nome, there would be groups of streets where you would only see one or two people walking around.
The pilot led Dingo to a small, rundown house. �He knocked on the door.
Dingo was sizing up all of the dogs that he saw. �Most of them looked mean, but there were a few that looked friendly. �One dog (Dingo guessed that it was female) even came up to him to talk. �But someone had opened the door, so before Dingo or the other dog could say anything, the pilot tugged on Dingo�s leash.
Dingo yelped, but the pilot didn�t notice. �The person who had opened the door was a tall man, a lot taller than Jason�s dad (who was the average height for his age). �The man took Dingo�s leash from the pilot. �Dingo felt uncomfortable while the man was holding his leash. �He didn�t trust him.
�Here,� said the man to the pilot, handing him a quarter.
The pilot was shocked. ��Is that it?� he asked. �That�s nothing! �I have a family to take care of at home, and I need to keep my plane in good repair��
The man laughed in his face. ��Do you really think I care?� he said. �I don�t care if you have a hundred kids in your family. �I�m only paying five dollars.�
The pilot walked off in a huff. �The man at the door fiercely tugged at Dingo�s leash so that Dingo almost flew through the doorway.
Dingo sized up the man in front of him. ��This must be Ray Warren,� he thought. �I hope that he�s not always this mean��
�Hey, Sandy!� Warren called out. �Come and see what I�ve got for you.�
Dingo saw a young girl come charging in from the kitchen. �She must have been about Jason�s age, probably a little younger. �She was incredibly skinny and apparently underfed. �Even though she looked miserable, her face lighted up when she saw Dingo. �She gasped in surprise. ��A puppy!� she said happily. �You got me a puppy! �I love him!� �She hugged Dingo�s neck.
Meanwhile, Warren and his wife were talking in the kitchen. ��I told them that I was going to use him for the mail service,� he said. �They fell for it!�
�Good,� the wife said. �They won�t suspect a thing. �That�ll make our job easier.�
Dingo knew that the Warrens were talking about him, but he didn�t understand what they were saying. �Wasn�t Warren going to use him for mail service? �Was he just lying? �What job was Mrs. Warren talking about? ��Only time will tell,� Dingo finally decided.
Sandy was still clinging onto Dingo. ��You�re my first pet ever,� she said. �I�ve always wanted a dog, but Daddy wouldn�t let me have one until now. �This is the best thing that�s ever happened to me!�
Sandy turned to her father. ��What�s his name?� she asked.
He shrugged. ��Dingo, I think,� he said.
Sandy smiled. ��Okay,� she said. �I like your name, Dingo.� �Then she ran back to her room, calling out behind her, �Come on, Dingo! �I want to show you my room!�
Dingo enthusiastically followed his new owner to her room. �Mrs. Warren smiled as she watched the young girl and her new dog. ��I think that she�s really going to get attached to that dog,� she commented to her husband. �She�ll be so miserable after we�� �She shuddered at the thought.
�She�ll get over it,� Warren replied unsympathetically. �It�s just a dog. �Besides, we have to wait until the dog is fully grown, and that won�t happen for a month or two yet.�
Mrs. Warren shook her head. ��Poor Sandy,� she said. �We�ve never let her have a pet before. �The only reason that we�re letting her have Dingo is because we need him to��
Warren hushed his wife. ��Sandy might be listening,� he said. �We don�t want her to know about this until she�s ready.�
-----
Dingo looked around Sandy�s room. �It had a stone floor and stone walls. �Apparently the heater didn�t work in this room-it was freezing. �Sandy jumped onto her bed, which only had one thin blanket covering it. �Dingo wondered why Sandy hadn�t died yet in these horrible living conditions.
Sandy showed Dingo everything in her room-there wasn�t much. �She had a small nightstand with a black and white picture of the family. �Dingo was very interested in the picture. �Suddenly he noticed something strange in the photo. �Sandy was sitting on her bed, watching him. �He nudged her and pointed his nose toward the picture. �Sandy understood.
�That�s my family,� she said. �I was pretty young then. �I think I was only four years old�I�m nine now. �There�s my mom and my dad, and there�s me, and there�s�� �Suddenly she couldn�t speak. �She was pointing to the strange thing in the picture: a boy. �Dingo had found it strange because he hadn�t seen a boy since he entered the house. �Where was he?
Dingo stopped thinking about the strange boy for a moment and looked at Sandy. �She was crying. ��That�s my brother,� she said through tears. �Well, at least he was my brother. �My parents put him up for adoption the year after this picture was taken. �I�ve missed him ever since.�
Dingo felt sorry for the girl and nuzzled her. �She felt somewhat comforted, but she continued crying. ��I don�t even remember his name anymore,� she said. �That was such a long time ago.�
For some reason, the boy looked familiar to Dingo. �It looked like someone he knew. �But who?
Chapter 7
�Come on, mutt,� Warren called. �I�ll show you where you�re going to live now.� �Dingo reluctantly followed him out the door and to the backyard.
�Dad, can�t Dingo live in my room?� Sandy asked pleadingly.
Warren rolled his eyes. ��It�s a dog, Sandy,� he said. �He should live outside. �Dogs belong in the backyard, and growing girls belong inside.
Dingo suddenly felt angry, thinking about what Warren had said. �He didn�t see much of a difference between the cold outdoors and Sandy�s room. ��They should let her live outside,� he thought. �Anything is better than that freezing, miserable room.�
When they were in the backyard, Warren tied Dingo to a rope that was connected to a stake in the ground. ��That should hold him,� he said with satisfaction.
�Dad, do we really have to tie up Dingo?� asked Sandy. �That rope is really short�shouldn�t we just let Dingo walk around the yard and keep an eye on him so he doesn�t run away?�
Warren slapped his daughter across the face. �As she began to cry in pain, he said, �How dare you oppose your father! �If I say that Dingo should be tied up, then Dingo should be tied up. �Now go to your room!�
Sandy ran back inside, crying. �Warren grinned evilly at Dingo. ��Hello, boy,� he said. �You�re going to make me a fortune, so don�t go running off, now!�
Dingo growled at the man. �He didn�t know what Warren was going to do to him, but he didn�t trust him and knew that it was probably something bad.
Warren walked away, laughing. �Dingo lay down and thought about his new owners. �Sandy was nice. �In ways, she reminded him of Jason. �However, Warren seemed like the exact opposite. �When the man was near, Dingo felt a chill go down his body.
Suddenly Dingo�s thoughts were interrupted when a loud crash disturbed the quiet neighborhood. �He looked up and saw that a dog had been inside a trash can, spying on him. �Now the trash can had tipped over, bringing the dog down with it. �Dingo recognized the stranger as the dog that had tried to talk to him when he was walking through Anchorage earlier. ��Hi,� he said. �Who are you?�
The dog walked over to him with a proud look on its face. ��My name is Liko Ria,� it said. �Dingo realized that he had been correct in guessing that it was female. �What is yours?�
�I am Dingo Balto,� Dingo replied. �I just moved here from��
�Yes, I know-Nome,� Liko said. �When she saw that Dingo was shocked to see that she possessed such knowledge, she said, �Hey, word travels fast here. �I probably knew who your new owner was before you did.� �Dingo realized that he wouldn�t be very surprised if what she had just said was true.
�So, do you want to have a tour of the city?� Liko asked. �Dingo motioned at the rope that restricted him from running away. ��Oh, don�t worry about that,� Liko said. �I�ve bitten through ropes twice the size of that before.�
Dingo watched in wonder as Liko gnawed through the rope tied to his neck. �Soon the rope lay limp on the ground, and Dingo was free. ��Thanks,� he said. �Let�s go!�
Dingo and Liko were soon running through the streets of Anchorage, with Liko pointing out different people and places.
�That�s Sprinter,� she said, pointing a dog that looked friendly. �He definitely lives up to his name! �He�s the fastest dog in the whole city. �I�m glad that he�s on our side, not theirs.�
Dingo was puzzled about the last thing Liko had said, but after she pointed out a few more dogs, he realized what she was talking about. �In Anchorage, there were two groups of dogs: one was a friendly bunch, but the other was a group of bullies. �Liko was part of the friendly group, and so was Sprinter. �Dingo expected that they would also accept him into their group.
The other group was led by a huge dog named Seno. �From what Dingo had heard about him, Seno made Tair look like an angel. �Dingo decided that his stay in Anchorage would probably be a lot more enjoyable if he stayed away from Seno.
Dingo was also puzzled about something else. �He was expecting many dogs in Anchorage, but he had only seen a handful on the streets of the city. �Where were the others? �Had he made a mistake in assuming that there were a lot of dogs in Anchorage?
Liko soon provided the answer for his question. �At one point during the day, she led him down an alley. �After making sure that no one saw them, she crawled into a hole underneath a building. �Dingo followed her.
Dingo soon found himself in a small, crowded place with a lot of dogs lying down or walking around. �In some ways, it reminded him of the boiler room. �However, it was different, too: the boiler room was a large room, but this place was only about three feet tall. �It was also colder in this place (obviously, because it was underground and had no heat source).
Liko turned around and lay down in front of him. �He followed her example. ��Well, what do you think?� she asked. �It�s good to have a place where Seno and his followers can�t disturb us.�
�It reminds me of a place that we had in Nome,� Dingo said thoughtfully. �But Tair, the ringleader of the mean dogs back in Nome, knew about it, so we could never get away from him. �I like this idea�if I ever go back to Nome, I have to find a place like this where we can get away from Tair.�
Liko paled. ��What�s wrong?� Dingo asked.
�Well�� Liko had trouble beginning. �I have to tell you something about your owner.� �She sighed. �If his plan works, you�re never going back to Nome.�
But like I said, I probably wouldn't have liked it much now. I can remember a few verses, anyways. I plan on re-writing it.. someday.
PUPPY-FACE!