Charlie's Gang (12 page)

A woman's voice, loud and bossy, sounded across the Green.

‘Emily! Come here! Come here this minute!'

Mrs Featherstone hadn't wanted to leave the safety of her car, but had forced herself to come in search of Emily, who was of course with her terriers trying her best to help in the crisis. She was excited to have the chance to show off her girls, though even she was a little daunted by the size of the job that needed to be done. And she soon saw that she was hardly needed. Charlie and Dora, Snip, Spud, Herbie, Allie, Meg and Timba were all working together, and they were beginning to succeed.

Mrs Featherstone marched into the beer tent.

‘What on earth is going on here? I thought this was a well-organised village entertainment, not a pest free-for-all. Who's in charge here?' She glared at the unfortunate barman, who shrugged and took no notice of her. In a corner of the bar she recognised Mr Trundle, who was sitting quietly with Mrs Nockerty, halfway through a pint of beer. She tackled him next.

‘Is this something to do with you? Have you brought these rats here? Somebody must have. They would hardly come by themselves!'

‘Well now, that's where you're wrong Missus,' said Mr Trundle, ‘because rats, if they are not carefully controlled, will indeed pitch up wherever they like. Fetes, barbecues, town halls. Have you not read that Pied Piper story? Now had Hamlyn town employed a properly qualified pest expert to keep things under control in the first place, they might never have lost their children.'

Mrs Featherstone failed to understand. ‘But what are you going to
do
about it? Have you got a pipe?'

‘Well,' said Trundle, ‘personally I'm leaving it to my well- trained dogs. And looking out of the tent flap here, I see that your own girls are giving my boys a hand. What with the seven of them, and that handy little Border Terrier that lives near the pub, you will see that the ground is clearing, and that soon the fete will be able to get going again. Would you like a drink? Gin and tonic?'

Mrs Featherstone was about to say that she did
not
want a drink but wanted something
done,
when she did as Mr Trundle advised and looked out through the tent flap. She saw that the ground was rapidly clearing, now that the dogs were working together. She saw her Dora and a tall Jack Russell pushing the rats away, with four, no, five dogs keeping them going in one direction. The fifth dog was Timba, but Mrs Featherstone had never noticed until today that terriers can look different from one another. Some are small and bandy legged, some tall, some rough coated and some smooth, and coats and ears can be any combination of colours. For the first time too, she saw that the dogs were working intelligently to solve the problem of the rats, and she looked at Mr Trundle with a new respect.

‘You're right,' she said.

‘Well now,' he said, ‘how about that drink? And may I introduce you to Mrs Mabel Nockerty, who's a good friend of mine and the owner of two of my dogs.'

17

East Foxmould Pest Control
(
Incorporated
)
(
Any Pest Any Size
)

Autumn had arrived and the lanes around East Foxmould were running with water after two weeks of heavy rain. Fallen leaves blocked the ditches and narrowed the road so that Mr Trundle, always a slow and careful driver, was taking extra care today on his way to a very important ratting job. He pulled in where the lane widened a little, and waited.

‘Where is she then, Charlie boy?' He asked his favourite Jack Russell, ‘we said 7.30 and I make it 7.32 already.'

Charlie knew Mrs Featherstone would be there in a moment or two, because his ears were so much sharper than Mr Trundle's and he'd heard her coming. She drove more slowly these days too. Charlie was looking forward to her arrival, and indeed to the whole day ahead. And here she was now.

The sound of a horn round the corner, and Mrs Featherstone pulled up level with Mr Trundle and greeted him cheerfully.

‘Good morning! A bit damp but not cold. Shall I get the girls out? I'm sorry to ask you to pick them up like this but I need to get to the station by 8 o'clock.' Mrs Featherstone climbed from her seat and opened the back door of her 4by4. Out jumped Dora, Allie and Meg. Mr Trundle got out too and opened the back doors of his van, and the three of them jumped in to join Charlie Snip Spud and Herbie. There was much tail wagging, and in the case of Spud and Allie, quite a few licks.

‘Mrs Christie asked if you could call on your way past her house,' Mrs Featherstone said, ‘I saw her in the village shop yesterday and she told me you're taking her Border Terrier. I understand that it's going to be ‘all hands on deck', so to speak. Sorry I can't be there, but I have a train to catch as I said.' Mrs Featherstone paused and smiled at Mr Trundle. ‘Actually I'm not sorry at all,' she said. ‘I don't like rats, and I'm very glad indeed that Emily will be safely in school today, though she's bitterly disappointed of course. She tried to persuade me to let her have the day off if you please!'

‘Rat Hall's not the best place for a child,' Mr Trundle said, ‘even one as brave and clever as your Emily indeed. But if you like, I'll take her out with me on some of my smaller jobs sometime. Maybe during the school holidays? Now that your dogs are working with mine so often. And if she's determined to take over my business when she leaves school, I may as well train her up a bit, in time for my retirement.'

Mrs Featherstone stared at him, then laughed nervously. ‘Oh no,' she said, ‘you're having a little joke with me I'm sure! Emily is definitely expected to pursue a career as an accountant. Her father and I decided that a long time ago.'

‘Whatever you say.' Mr Trundle smiled and got back into his van. He winked at Charlie who hopped over to sit next to him in the front seat. An appropriate place for the gang leader, although Charlie made sure there was room for Dora too, should she wish to join him.

‘I'll drop your girls home later when we've finished,' called Mr Trundle, as Mrs Featherstone waved cheerfully and disappeared.

‘Here we go then boys and girls,' the old man said. ‘It's good to have all of you. We'll just call and collect our Timba, then we'll have everybody we need. Our complete team. And then it's Rat Hall here we come, eh Charlie?'

Yes,
thought Charlie,
Rat Hall, here we come!
And just then, Dora jumped over to sit next to him in the front.

The End