Big-Top Scooby by Kate Howard Page B

sighed impatiently. “Scoob, I’m sorry. I know it was wrong to treat you like a trained animal. I was a complete —” He broke off as he thought of something.
    Scooby thought of the same thing at the same moment. “Rained animals!”
    They ran like crazy toward the animal car on the train.
    â€œHey … animals!” Shaggy called. “We need your help!”
    The animals all stared at him blankly.
    â€œUh … escuchenme ! Por favor … uh … ayu-dame …”
    Scooby held up one hand to stop him. “Rallow me.” He sauntered over to the baboon cage and started barking at them. The baboons listened intently, and then began to nod.
    â€œScooby speaks baboon?” Shaggy mused. “Who knew?” He took a ring of keys from a hook on the wall and began to unlock the cage with the horses in it. Once everything was ready, he and Scooby made their way back to Marius’s car.
    Inside, Archambault had Marius tied up like a prisoner. He was hastily dumping the contents of the lockbox — including the jewels — into a sack.
    That’s when Scooby rode into the car on horseback, playing a bugle!
    Archambault stared at Scooby, stunned. Then he began to laugh. “Archambault never punch a horse before,” he said. “Could be fun!”
    Just as he reeled back to charge at Scooby’s horse, the baboons ran into the room. Archambault dropped the sack with the jewels, reached behind his back, and grabbed for his tranquilizer gun. “Sleepy time for the monkeys!”
    The gun clicked uselessly. Archambault stared at it. “What?! Where are the darts?” He looked around and saw Shaggy, who had climbed in through the window behind Archambault.
    Shaggy grinned, and picked up the sack of loot. “Don’t worry. I’ve got the darts right here.” He patted at his pocket.
    Archambault lunged at Shaggy, but the baboons pounced on him.
    â€œNo!” Archambault cried. “Bad monkeys!”
    Scooby and Shaggy took the chance to slip out of the train window while Archambault was occupied. “Like, what do we do now?”
    â€œHello, peoples!” Suddenly, Archambault’s head popped up over the edge of the roof.
    Scooby’s eyes widened. “Run!”
    Archambault chased after them, yelling, “Come back here, dog and hippie! Archambault won’t hurt you … much!”
    Shaggy glanced at Scooby. “Did he just call me a hippie?”
    They kept running, with Archambault getting closer by the second.
    Shaggy and Scooby yelped as the train approached a bunch of low-hanging tree branches. They swerved, but Archambault just let the trees hit him. He puffed out his chest and let the thicktree limbs smash against his rock-hard body. “Rikes!” Scooby said, feeling his own chest.
    â€œJump!” Shaggy shouted to Scooby when they reached the end of the train car. The tracks sped by at an alarming speed beneath them. Shaggy gulped nervously. He looked for Scooby, and then realized his pal had already jumped and was staring at him from the top of the next train car.
    Shaggy crouched down and leaped across the gap just as Archambault reached for him. Shaggy grabbed at the top of the train car, but his body slid down. He was going to fall!
    Just in time, Scooby grabbed at Shaggy’s shirt collar and pulled him up to safety.
    â€œThanks, buddy!” Shaggy said, hugging Scooby happily.
    â€œRanytime, pal,” Scooby said.
    They only had a moment to celebrate before Archambault was after them again. “Scoob! I’ve got an idea! Follow me!” Shaggy cried. They ran to the end of the train car and jumped … but instead of making it to the other side, they both fell out of view.
    Archambault leaned over the edge of the train car, wondering where they’d gone. As he did, Shaggy reached up and stuck a tranquilizer dart right in the tip of Archambault’s nose!
    â€œAhhh!” he