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Staffordshire jumped inside. The sooty Dalmatians, huddled together,
were invisible in the darkness.
 Want to ride inside, do you? said Bill.  Well, it is cold. He put the
tailboard up and shouted,  Next stop, St. John s Wood. A moment
later the van started.
St. John s Wood! Surely, that was where the Splendid Vet lived quite
close to Regent s Park! What wonderful, wonderful luck, thought
Pongo. Just then he heard a clock strike. It was still only eight o clock.
 Missis! he cried.  We shall get home tonight! We shall be home
for Christmas!
 Yes, Pongo, said Missis gaily. But she did not feel as gay as she
sounded. For Missis, who had been so brave, so confident up to the
moment they had found the miracle, had suddenly been smitten by a
great fear. Suppose the Dearlys did not recognize them now they
were black dogs? Suppose the dear, dear Dearlys turned them away?
She kept her fears to herself. Why should she frighten Pongo with
them? How fast the miracle was travelling! She thought of the days it
had taken her and Pongo to reach Suffolk on foot. Why, it seemed like
weeks since they had left London! Yet it was only how long? Could it
be only four days? They d slept one day in the stable at the inn, one
day at the dear Spaniel s, one day in the Folly, part of a night in the
barn after the escape from Hell Hall, then a day at the bakery. So
much had happened in so short a time. And now, would it be all right
when they got home? Would it? Would it?
Meanwhile, Pongo had his own worries. He had been telling the
Staffordshire all about Cruella and had remembered what she had
said that night at Hell Hall how she intended to wait until people had
forgotten about the stolen puppies, and then start her Dalmatian fur
farm again. Surely he and Missis would get this lot of puppies safely
home (it had never occurred to him that the Dearlys might not let them
The Hundred And One Dalmatians 113
in), but what of the future? How could he make sure that other puppies
did not end up as fur coats later on? He asked for advice.
 Why not kill this Cruella? said the Staffordshire.  And I ll help you.
Let s make a date for it now.
Pongo shook his head. He had come to believe that Cruella was not
an ordinary human but some kind of devil. If so, could one kill her? In
any case, he didn t want his pups to have a killer-dog for a father. He
would have sprung at Cruella if she had attacked any pup, but he
didn t fancy cold-blooded murder. He told the Staffordshire so.
 Your blood would soon warm up, once you started the job, said the
Staffordshire.  Well, let me know if you change your mind. And now
you take a nap, mate. You ve still got quite a job ahead of you.
The Staffordshire, like Missis, wondered if the Dearlys would
recognize these black Dalmatians and if even the kindest pets would
take in so many pups. But he said nothing of this to Pongo.
Missis, Iulled by the movement of the van, had fallen asleep.
Soon Pongo slept too. But their dreams were haunted by their
separate anxieties.
On and on through the dark went the mile-eating miracle.
The Hundred And One Dalmatians 114
Chapter 16
The White Cat s Revenge
The Staffordshire woke them in good time every pup must be ready
to leap out of the van the minute the tailboard was put down.
 Not that my dear pets would hurt you if they saw you, said the
Staffordshire.  But it might cause delay. The van will stop in
a big, dark garage. Streak out, turn sharp left, and you will be
in a dimly lit mews and on your way. We ll say good-bye now.
 Can we send you news on the Twilight Barking? asked Pongo.
 Hardly ever get the chance to listen to it, said the Staffordshire.  But I
shall get news of you all right. I m a great one for newspapers they
pass the time on the road. Always plenty of them in the van; we use
them for packing. Well, here we are.
The van stopped. The Staffordshire started to bark loudly.
 Let him out, Jim, said Bill.  Before he breaks the Sound Barrier.
Down came the tailboard. Out shot the Staffordshire. This time he
managed to knock Jim right down, before turning to Bill, whom he
tackled low.
 Just about winded me, he has, said Bill proudly.  Grrh, you Flying
Saucer, you!
Jim got to his feet and spoke lovingly to the Staffordshire.  If England
had six of you, we shouldn t need no army, he said.  Come home and
get your supper, you Misguided Missile.
Bill and Jim had been much too occupied to notice the black dogs
streaming out of the van and out of the dark garage into the mews.
The Hundred And One Dalmatians 115
Snow had been falling for hours, so that London was all white. The
pups had scarcely noticed the snow while they were running away from
Cruella s car. Now they at once fell in love with this beautiful, feathery
stuff it raised their spirits wonderfully. And they felt well rested after
their sleep in the van. They were still hungry, but they didn t mind that
much because they were expecting a wonderful supper. Hearing them
counting on this, poor Missis felt more anxious than ever.
Bill, Jim, and the Staffordshire had gone out of the garage by another
way, so Pongo let the pups play in the snowy mews for a few
minutes. Then Missis persuaded the Cadpig to get back into her cart,
and off they went. Because of the snow there were very few people
about which was just as well, as the army of black dogs was now
very noticeable against the white streets. The only person who saw
them was an elderly gentleman on his way to a late party. He rubbed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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