Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Steve and I watched with admiration and some dismay as back-to-perfect Lughar made
short work of the puzzle. He surged up into the underbrush and pounded the lid of the can
with his teeth, muzzle, and feet, making the handler inside howl in misery as his fingers got
pinched trying to hold the lid down. There was no time for Steve to play with Dave's mind
by telling him it was clearly a raccoon that Lughar was after. That howl was all too human.
It was over in two or three minutes. Steve was discouraged by the fast pace but determined
to get some bang for our dramatic stage-setting buck.
Pete and his large sable shepherd, Diesel, were next. Steve was no longer sure that the scen-
ario would slow them down as much as he wanted it to. This time Steve made certain that
Pete had pulled well inside the compound, away from Lughar's clever backtrack.
“Hey, Diesel, boy,” Steve said. Diesel was already staring out into the dark, ignoring Steve.
Steve turned to Pete, frowning. “There are a lot of cats, raccoons, people north of the com-
plex, so just be careful. Give your warning.”
Steve watched as the released Diesel set up a solid pattern, moving through the deserted
Bobcats and stacks of palettes and concrete culverts on the flat, doing natural switchbacks.
“He's got really nice structure.” It wasn't clear whether he was talking about Diesel's powerful,
sleek looks or his search pattern. Probably both. Diesel worked the area like an old pro, ig-
noring a cat as it slid away from him, clearing a half-acre with ease. Diesel and Pete were
methodical; they were also raising our hopes that they might not solve the problem as quickly
as Lughar and Dave had.
“Wouldn't you just love to be inside a dog's head?” Steve asked quietly, arms folded across
his spare frame, watching as Diesel swung his huge muzzle, and adjusted his body so it fol-
lowed his big nose. The breeze had shifted slightly, carrying scent. I could hear the faint sound
of Latin music and voices from over the top of the hill.
“There are a lot of people barbecuing on the other side of the fence, so be careful,” Steve
called to Pete. The admonitions were like whistling in the wind. Diesel, the Mack truck,
caught the decoy's scent. He moved uphill in first and then second gear, toward the under-
brush and the hidden garbage can. Pete was right behind him, scrambling up the hill.
Steve attempted to distract Pete, but Pete kept following Diesel, who was under the brush
next to the hidden garbage can. “So you got somebody or not?” Steve called impatiently. “We
need to clear this out now.”
Diesel's harsh bark resonated down the hill. He had somebody. He wanted to clear the
decoy right out of the garbage can. We could hear his nails scrabbling on the lid.
Steve sighed, shrugged, called to Pete to hook Diesel up, and yelled at the hidden handler
to open the garbage can and wave his rubber arm in defeat.
