Round 'em Up

Ching, ching, ching! Clang!

Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof!

Moose escaped his kennel: squeezing between the gate and post. Dan's hunting dog bolted to chase a dark tubular varmint slinking in a bobbing motion across the yard.

The intruder was 3/4 the length of Moose and I guessed almost half his weight – looking at the huge belly. But what could IT be?

Moose circled the animal, driving it across the road into the swamp, holding it at bay and refusing to allow its escape. It nipped Moose in his hind quarter. Moose yelped, refused attack but stood his ground – like a true lab or heeler – waiting for his master... the hunter to finish the job.

His master was gone out-of-state on a work trip. That left the me (the mistress) in charge. Fortunately, the school bus pulled up to our driveway offering a distraction so that Moose obeyed my call to "COME!" I hooked the leash onto his collar. The creature bobbed away.


On the gravel road, we checked for tracks and found this one.

Our intruder?

From my best guess: a river otter – two miles from the nearest river and a mile from the lake.

Nonetheless, Moose did his best to Round 'em Up,