Thunder from the Sea by Joan Hiatt Harlow Page B

“They’re searchin’ for her. Come down, Tom. We need all the help we can get!”
    â€œI’ll be back in a spurt,” Tom told Fiona as he grabbed his jacket. “No need for you to come and climb over the rocks.” Tom raced outside and down the road with Thunder at his heels. When they approached the boulders, Tom could see Bert and Eddie searching the shoreline. Rowena’s mother, Margaret, was near the cave, screaming “Rowena!” She held the little girl’s doll in her hand.
    â€œI’ll go up to the tuckamore,” Tom told Margaret.
    â€œI don’t think she’d climb all the way up there.” She wept.
    â€œI was watchin’ her every second,” Nancy insisted, biting her lip. “I’m sure the fairies came and took her!”
    â€œFairies?” Ruby whacked Nancy on her rump. “Don’t blame the fairies. You weren’t watchin’ her like you were s’posed to!”
    â€œI hope she didn’t fall down among the rocks somewhere,” Margaret sobbed. “She may be hurt or bleedin’….”
    Tom took the doll from Margaret’s hands. “Here, Thunder.” He held it to Thunder’s nose. “Find Rowena!” he ordered. The dog sniffed at the doll then looked at Tom. “Go! Get Rowena!” Tom said again. “Go!”
    Thunder sniffed around the entrance to the cave. He gave a slight bark and then headed up the rocks and into the spruce forest. Tom followed as Thunder pushed his way through thick trees. Briars and needles stuck to his fur, and to Tom’s jacket. “Rowena!” Tom called. But there was no answer.
    Thunder stopped. Tom held the doll to his nose again. Thunder sniffed it and then went on.
    They had gone a long way—high up on the cliffs of Eastern Head. Tom went to the edge of the cliff and looked down. The sea, hundreds of feet beneath him, broke in wavesagainst the rocks. If Rowena fell from here …
    Tom peered once more at the deep sea and the jagged rocks below. “We’ve
got
to find her,” he said to Thunder.
    Tom recalled Nancy’s insistence that the fairies took Rowena. Superstitions from old Scotland and Ireland still had a hold on some people. Tom found himself wondering if the fairies really
had
taken Rowena!
    Pishogue!
he told himself.
    Thunder continued on through the brush, his nose close to the ground. Then, suddenly they came to a clearing. The sun shone into the opening and cast a glow on a mossy nook. And there was Rowena, curled up on the soft moss, sound asleep. Thunder’s tail wagged furiously as he trotted over to the little girl and licked her face. Rowena stirred and woke up, wiping the dried tears from her eyes. “Thunder,” she whimpered, throwing her arms around his neck. “I got lost!”
    Tom sighed with relief, then handed her the doll. “You’re safe now, my child,” he said. “Thunder found you. He knew exactly whereyou were.” He took Rowena’s hand and led her out of the thicket. “Let’s go back. Everyone’s lookin’ for you.”
    When they arrived at the cave, they saw Margaret and Ruby racing up the rocks. “Oh, thank God!” Margaret screamed when she saw Rowena. She ran to her daughter and clasped her close.
    â€œShe wandered off into the woods,” Tom explained. “Thunder went straight to her.”
    â€œThank you, Thunder,” Margaret said, patting the dog with one hand and clinging to Rowena with the other.
    Bert and Eddie climbed up to the cave. “Where was she?”
    â€œThunder found her,” Tom said. “She was asleep up in the tuckamore.”
    Ruby turned to Nancy. “How did this happen? You were supposed to be watching her.”
    Nancy’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry. I was readin’ … and she just went off.”
    â€œReadin’?” Ruby raised her eyebrows. “You