Ruby of Kettle Farm Read Online Free Page B

bed early. She’d fallen asleep straightaway, and Ruby hadn’t had the heart to wake her.
    After checking that Baxter was still safely in his kennel, she went to the chook yard. She sat down in the shelter, pulled the blanket around her shoulders, and waited.
    It was lonely without May, and much spookier. The pine trees at the end of the yard looked black and witchy. An owl hooted. Another answered.
    Maybe Dad is sleeping outside tonight, too, Ruby thought. He could be on the road. Perhaps he’s out in the country somewhere, and he’s trying to sleep and he can’t because he’s cold and hungry. Perhaps he’s thinking of me and Mother. Oh, Dad.
    A lump came into her throat. Trying to ignore it, she stared into the darkness.
    What seemed like hours later, she felt rather than heard the fox. It moved silently outside the chook-yard fence, a shadow in the moonlight.
    Ruby held her breath.
    There it was, no more than two yards away from her. The chook thief.
    The fox raised its nose and sniffed the air. Now she could see its neat triangular face and its big pointed ears. It looked just like the fox head on Mother’s fur stole. Its eyes shone bright gold in the darkness.
    I’ll sit very still, Ruby thought, and as soon as it gets into the yard, I’ll chase it away. She gulped. Would the fox attack her? It wasn’t very big, but it was a wild animal, after all.
    To her disappointment and relief, the fox didn’t come any closer. It moved away noiselessly, its brush dragging on the ground.
    Perhaps it smelled me, Ruby thought, and that frightened it away. But I still have to find out how it gets through the fence. I’d better stay, in case it comes back. This time I
won’t
go to sleep.
    But she did.
    She was awoken by a creaking sound, and instantly her heart began to thump. Somebody was opening the gate to the yard. Quiet footsteps approached. Some of the hens began to cluck nervously.
    It was almost dawn now, and the light was greyish, but Ruby could see quite well. She stood up and moved to the front of the shelter.
    The man – now she could see it was a man – came closer. It wasn’t Uncle James and it wasn’t Walter. He was carrying a sack, and he was creeping up towards the rooster, which was drinking from a water bowl. By now Ruby’s heart was beating so fast that she was trembling. Oh my hat, she thought. Who is it? What can I do? What if he gets angry, and hurts me?
    And then – 
    â€˜Mr West!’ said May’s voice.
    The man jumped and looked up, and now Ruby could see his face beneath his pulled-down hat. ‘Blimey, you scared me,’ he said.
    May pushed her way through the flock of squawking hens. ‘You were stealing our rooster, weren’t you?’ she said sternly.
    â€˜Me? Not on your life,’ Mr West protested. ‘But there’s no need to tell your old man I was here. We’ll just forget this ever happened, shall we?’ He watched Ruby with narrowed eyes as she came out of the shelter, then suddenly moved forward and grabbed her by the arm. ‘And if you say anything, girlie, I’ll pass the word around the district about your dad.’
    Ruby yanked her arm free. ‘I have to tell Uncle James it was you, or he’ll go on thinking it’s my dog who’s been killing the chooks,’ she said.
    â€˜Your dog’s worth more than my family, is it?’ said Mr West. ‘If you dob me in, I’ll be back in the clink in half a tick. Is that what you want? Think of the kids – think of little Josie.’ He looked at Ruby. ‘You know what it’s like to be without your dad.’
    Ruby tried not to think of little Josie. ‘That’s not fair.’
    â€˜Look,’ May interrupted, ‘this has nothing to do with Ruby’s father. You can ruin Ruby’s life, but it won’t stop you going to prison. You’re