Originally published May 2000 Preceded by Slim's Good-bye | ||
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Followed by The Case of the Raging Rottweiler Similar John R Erickson books, Hank the Cowdog books, Other books | ||
The Case of the Saddle House Robbery is the 35th book in the Hank the Cowdog book series. Book Chapter One: The Earth is plunged into darkness Its's me again, Hank the cowdog. Lets get right to the point of this case. Our ranch was visited, struck, and robbed by a saddle thief. Saddle thieves steal saddles, right? That's what this one did. Even though we had been warned, even though I was on the case from the start, the clear rogue managed to...
Contents
Plot
Unlike the other Hank the Cowdog books Hank wears a green collar. Weakening early in the morning, Hank decides that he should "bark up the sun" thirty minutes ahead of schedule. He runs into Pete the barncat, who promptly confuses Hank so that he bashes his head against a tree trunk. Hank heads out to Sunrise Hill and begins trying to bark up the sun, but in the process he attracts the coyote brothers Rip and Snort, who are hungry and angry. After a short, rather loony conversation the coyotes tell Hank that the sun comes up because they Howl at it every morning, not because Hank barks at it. All three of them begin trying to raise the sun over the horizon. Their efforts are a monumental failure, and it is not until JT the rooster, at the actual time of sunrise, begins crowing that the sun actually does come up. Hank gets mad and chases JT into the chicken house and, later, Pete the barncat up a tree. Later on Hank sees a truck coming up the road. He makes the truck stop and a 'vampire' jumps out. Hank hides underneath the truck and Slim comes out, showing that he was only wearing a mask. Later on a strange, older English Pointer names Jake comes to the ranch. Jake says he's looking for treasure of Madagascar. Hank and Jake don't get along, but Slim wants to keep him so that way they can give him to his owners. In the end Slim ties Jake's and Hank's collars together via a rope. Later that day Slim and Loper finds out that the Saddle House was robbed. Hank begins to believe that Jake has something to do with the robbery. Once Jake and Hank are cut loose. And while Slim, Loper, Alfred, and Molly are away a truck comes up. The man who comes up, give Hank chocolate and it sends Hank to sleep. Later on Hank finds Drover under the tool shed. Drover says he can see the ocean, palm trees, and other things found on tropical islands. Hank goes under the tool shed and ends up getting trapped. He swears he sees Madagascar all around him. Later that day, the sheriff comes by to find out about the newest saddle house robbery. Hank pries a confession out of Jake- the Wrong One. Jake says he found the treasure, and says he has nothing to do with the robbery. Later on a man's truck breaks down near Slim's house, and the man is the robber. Hank growls at him and in the end Slim puts him under citizen's arrest.