Touchdown for Tommy Read Online Free Page B

“Well, all right. Then we’ll have Kathy over for one evening.”
    Tommy could hardly wait till Tuesday came. He could have Wag for a whole evening all to himself.
    Finally it was Tuesday, and Tommy askedMrs. Powell if he could take Wag outside with him. Mrs. Powell must have realized how happy he was to have Wag to himself.
    “You certainly may, Tommy,” she said. She didn’t even ask him where he was going.
    Tommy didn’t know where he was going either. He just wanted to get outdoors with Wag. Wag was only a pup, but there was no
     snow and it’s always more fun with a dog outdoors.
    The October air was nippy. The temperature had dipped below the freezing point the night before, and the sky was cloudy. Tommy
     dressed warmly and carried Wag outside in his arms.
    He put Wag down, and they both ran around for a while. Then Tommy rolled on the lawn and Wag crawled over him and bit his
     ears. Of course, Wag didn’t
really
bite. He didn’t hurt at all. He was just having a lot of fun, too.
    “Oh, Wag, I sure love you,” Tommy cried. “I sure do!”
    Tommy thought of the creek. The creek was only a short distance away. It was beyond the fence that marked the Powells’ property.
    “Come on, Wag!” yelled Tommy excitedly. “Come on!”
    Tommy spread the fence apart and crawled through. He ran through a field of frost-nipped alfalfa. Wag came stumbling after
     him. His long black ears flapped like twin flags, and his tail stuck up high.
    Wuf! Wuf!
    “You poor little fella,” said Tommy. “You have trouble running through this, don’t you? Come on. I’ll carry you.”
    Tommy picked Wag up. He carried Wag down to the creek. The water was crystal-clear and shallow. It looked awfully cold.
    Tommy stepped on a shiny flat stone atthe edge of the water. His foot slipped! He tried to catch his balance. He couldn’t! He fell into the water!
    At the same time Wag slipped from Tommy’s arms and fell into the water, too.

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    T error took hold of Tommy as he saw Wag up to his neck in the cold, rippling water. Wag’s eyes were large with fright. He was
     whimpering and turning around in the water, looking for a way out.
    “Wag! Oh, my poor Wag!” cried Tommy.
    Tommy pushed himself to his feet. He splashed through the water, swooped Wag up into his arms, then stepped onto dry land.
     Wag’s curly fur stuck to his body. Water dropped from him in big drops.
    Tommy held him tightly. Wag shook in hisarms from the cold. He’ll freeze, thought Tommy. If I don’t get him dried and warm, he’ll surely freeze!
    Tommy choked back tears. His teeth chattered. If he didn’t get into a house and take off his clothes, he might freeze, too.
    Suddenly he thought of David Warren’s house. It was closer than the Powells’ house. The only trouble was that the Warren house
     was located on the
other
side of the creek.
    Tommy stood a moment. His feet felt like they were caking into ice. He knew he should go home to the Powells. But he was afraid.
    He decided to go to David’s house. He had to hurry. Chills were going all the way through him.
    Tommy ran down along the bank of the creek. He reached the road, crossed the short bridge, and raced to the white housewhere David Warren lived. He knocked on the front door and stood shivering while he waited for someone to answer.
    Mrs. Warren came to the door. Her eyes widened in alarm as she saw Tommy. “Tommy! My goodness! Come inside, quick!”
    The instant Tommy was inside, David came running into the living room. He stared at Tommy.
    “Let me take the puppy!” he said. “I’ll wrap him in a towel and get him warm and dry before he catches pneumonia!”
    “David, show Tommy to your room,” ordered Mrs. Warren. “Take off your clothes, Tommy, and put on some of David’s. Hurry, young
     man, before you catch pneumonia, too!”
    Tommy dried himself and got into David’s clothes. Mrs. Warren gave him a blanket to put around him while he sat in the living
     room.
    David had dried