Colin Meets an Emu by Merv Lambert

the doorway. The bumps, moans and groans from inside the enormous box increased. Quickly Jilly and Olivia closed the front door again.
    â€œNow,” said Colin. “Let’s open it.”
    â€œIt’s upside down,” said Olivia.
    â€œGood!” said the others.
    Chief Jellysox stepped forward and with a small, sharp knife expertly cut the strings and slashed the package open right down the middle from top to bottom. Groans could be heard more loudly now and perhaps the sound of someone being sick.
    â€œCome out, all of you!” shouted Colin. “Come out with your hands on your heads.”
    M was standing next to the giant cardboard box. There was a mad gleam in his eye. This was another adventure he was thoroughly enjoying.
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    Slowly the first figure emerged, crawling on his hands and knees with his cowboy stetson and Indian feathers jammed over his eyes. Four more followed. Each one tried to put his hands on his head, but they all collapsed groaning on the floor, and the last one was also making a retching noise.
    Once again Chief Jellysox and Squaw Big Gull made short work of trussing up the new prisoners. They found the string from the parcel very useful for this.
    â€œIs that all?” asked Olivia. “I mean is there anyone left in the box?”
    â€œI think there is,” answered Colin. He raised his voice. “We know you’re in there. Come out now with your hands on your head.”
    â€œAll right, all right!” grumbled a voice from inside the box. “I’m coming out slowly with my hands on my head.”
    Then a large man wearing a very large black stetson suddenly jumped out, holding a six-gun in his right hand. The gun was aimed directly at Colin.
    â€œDon’t move!” roared the newcomer. “Nobody messes with Big Buffalo Brian! I’ve come to capture this here Injun library. Yeah, nobody messes with me, and to prove it I’m gonna shoot one of you. How about you, Shorty?”
    The bookmark throbbed. Colin grinned. “You can’t be serious,” he said. “Where are your manners? We haven’t even been introduced!”
    â€œDon’t try to get smart with me, Shorty!” snarled Buffalo Brian.
    Colin was still grinning. The bookmark was still glowing.
    â€œI mean it. Take that stupid grin off your face!” snapped the cowboy.
    Colin’s grin only grew wider. Olivia was horrified. She was about to throw herself in front of Colin to save him, when she saw M. She hesitated. At that moment Buffalo Brian spoke again.
    â€œYou asked for it, buddy!” His face was flushed with anger, as he pressed the trigger and there was a loud bang. Immediately he screamed in pain. He was now hopping on one leg. The toe of his right boot had been torn off and his foot was bleeding.
    Grimly Colin remarked, “I’ve heard of it, but never seen it before. You have literally shot yourself in the foot!”
    Only Colin, Olivia and the children had seen what really happened. At the crucial moment M’s beak had gripped the wrist of Buffalo Brian’s gun hand and forced it downwards.
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    Meanwhile Squaw Big Gull was quite concerned for the no longer boastful enemy. Her nursing instincts came into play again, and she was doing her best to stem the flow of blood, having removed Buffalo Brian’s boot and one extremely smelly sock.
    Suddenly Olivia touched Colin’s arm. “Who’s that?” she asked. She was the first to notice a tall woman standing at the entrance.
    The woman advanced towards them. “Just what the blankety blank is going on?” she asked in a rather harsh, rasping voice. Without waiting for an answer, she strode up to Buffalo Brian and stood over him. With hands on her hips and shaking her head sorrowfully, she continued, “Buffalo Brian, what have you been up to this time? Bullying the Injuns again? Will you never learn?” Then turning to Olivia, Colin and the