Read Sam the Stolen Puppy for Free Online

people who’d taken him weren’t exactly cruel, but they didn’t seem to like dogs very much. Sam couldn’t understand why they wanted so many,when they never even stopped for a pat or a hug. The man just shoved the food bowls down twice a day, scowling, and the woman with the red gloves never came into the dogs’ shed at all.
    Sam missed Emily desperately. He was used to being loved, petted, talked to. Even when Emily was at school he had her mum and Jack. Now he had no one, and it was miserable. Surely Emily would come and find him soon?

    Emily slumped down on to the pavement. “I’m so stupid,” she muttered to herself angrily. She felt tears burning her eyes. She’d got all this way, and now she didn’t have a clue what to do next. She was never going to get Sam back!
    But just as she was rooting in her pocket for a tissue, Emily heard barking. Lots of barking, from the back of the house. There was no way that was just Bertie. It sounded like five or six different dogs, and one of them had to be Sam!
    Emily took a deep breath and stood up slowly. The house had an alleyway running down the side, and the fencelooked really old and wobbly. Perhaps there was a way she could get round to the back garden and find those dogs. Maybe she could even squeeze through the fence? She couldn’t give up now she was so close!
    Just as she was creeping along the fence, making for the alley, someone grabbed her shoulder. Emily froze, unable to move.
    Then an irritatingly familiar voice chirped, “We found you, Emily!”
    Jack!
    And, more to the point, Dad. It was Dad who’d caught her, of course. Emily drew in a deep shuddering breath, and turned round. Dad was glowering down at her, the expression on his face half furious, half worried.

    “Emily, what on earth are you doing?” he hissed. “You know you must never, ever go off on your own like that!” He sounded as though he was really having to hold himself back from shouting.
    “Dad, please listen! I think I’ve found Sam!” Emily burst out. “That’s why I ran off, I was following those people with the pointer, they live here.”
    Dad just stared at her, then at last he shook his head wearily. “Emily, how many times have Mum and I told you that those people had nothing to do with Sam being stolen? Look, I know you’re desperate to find Sam, but you’ve just picked this silly idea out of nowhere. Now come on, we’re going home.”
    It would have been better if he had yelled at her. Somehow, Dad’s quiet, sympathetic, sad way of putting it seemed awfully right. It was just a silly idea. All her clever detective work suddenly seemed so babyish.
    “OK,” Emily muttered miserably. Then she looked round. “Where’s Jack?” she asked.
    Dad looked down at his hand, as though he expected Jack still to be holding it. “I don’t believe this,” he murmured, looking around wildly.
    Suddenly Emily saw a flicker of bright green through the broken fence panels – Jack’s coat. He was heading down the alleyway she’d been about to investigate. “He’s there!” she said, racing after him before Dad could stop her.
    Jack was crouched down by the fence, further down the alleyway. He was listening, with his ear up against a hole in the wood.

    Dad grabbed him, but Jack pulled out of his arms. “No, Daddy! I’ve found Sam! I’ve found him!” He jumped round and round as Dad tried to hold on to him.
    “Jack, it’s just a dog barking, it’s not Sam.” Dad was trying hard not to sound too cross, as he knew how much Jack and Emily wanted to find Sam, but he was losing patience.
    “It is! Emily, it is, isn’t it? You won’t be cross with me now, will you?” Jack grabbed Emily’s hand and tugged at her hopefully. “Listen!”
    Emily crouched down by the hole in the fence. “OK, I’ll listen,” she said, more to make Jack shut up than anything else.
    On the other side of the fence, Sam barked with all his strength, hurling himself against the side of his