Timberwolf Hunt by Sigmund Brouwer Page B

suit was very wet. The rest of the players started to giggle too.
    Coach Elwell pulled the bucket off his head. His moustache looked like a drowned mouse.

    The room became very quiet again.
    â€œWho played this trick on Eldridge?” he asked. His voice sounded like thunder. He was big and he looked angry.
    â€œHe did!” Johnny said, pointing at Tom.
    â€œHe did!” Tom said, pointing at Johnny.
    â€œThat’s it!” Coach Elwell said. “You are both benched for the whole game. You will watch it from the stands.”

Chapter Three
The Stinkiest Dog in the World
    â€œTom,” Johnny said. He and Tom were sitting in the stands. “You are disgusting.”
    The referee was ready to drop the puck. The hockey game between the out-of-town Grizzlies and the hometown Howling Timberwolves was about to begin. Eldridge Elwell was starting at center ice for the Timberwolves. Usually Tom started the game.
    â€œThe bucket with water seemed like a good idea at the time,” Tom said. “I already told you I’m sorry. How could I know that Coach Elwell would grab the stick?”
    â€œNot that,” Johnny said. He sniffed the air. He gagged. “I mean really. Did you have ten pounds of beans for breakfast? You should go into a bathroom if it’s that bad.”

    Tom sniffed the air too. “Yuck, that is disgusting. I promise, it wasn’t me.”
    Tom and Johnny looked at each other.
    Then they looked down at the floor beneath the stands.
    â€œIt’s Stinky,” Johnny said, groaning. “Wow. They don’t call him that for nothing.”
    The stands in the arena were the kind that could be pushed back. There was a lot of space beneath them. Often there would be popcorn and litter on the cement floor. Sometimes little kids walked around under the stands looking for lost coins.
    Sure enough, there was Stinky. Mr. Gregg’s dog was big and fat and slow. And stinky.
    Stinky looked up. He saw the boys looking down. He wagged his tail. Maybe they would drop a piece of hot dog by mistake. No one ever dropped food on purpose if Stinky was around.
    â€œDon’t feed him,” Johnny said. “Then he will follow us no matter where we sit.”
    Stinky made a long rude noise. The long rude noise didn’t come from his front end. Right away the bad smell reached Johnny and Tom.
    â€œYuck,” Tom said. “There he goes again.”
    It was bad enough that they had been benched from the game.
Now this?
    Tom and Johnny jumped up. They moved to another part of the stands. Just as they sat down, Eldridge Elwell skated into the Grizzlies’ zone.
    He fell.
    He got up. He chased the Grizzlies’ center.
    He fell. He got up.
    â€œThe new player doesn’t look that good,” Johnny said. He wasn’t being mean. He was just stating it like a fact.
    â€œYes,” Tom said, “he needs some different equipment.”
    â€œWhat equipment?” Johnny asked.
    â€œHe needs a pillow on his butt,” Tom said.
    Eldridge got up just in time to receive a pass from one

    of the Timberwolves’ wingers. The puck landed on his stick. He fell again. It looked like the puck had knocked him over. The Grizzlies’ defenseman took the puck and skated to center. The Grizzlies’ center stayed close with Eldridge.
    The Grizzlies’ defenseman passed the puck to a winger. Suddenly, it was a four on two.
    The wingers for the Timberwolves tried to catch up. They couldn’t. Eldridge tried to catch up. He fell again.
    In the Timberwolves’ end, the Grizzlies’ center dropped back. If Eldridge had been able to keep up, he would have been guarding the Grizzlies’ center. Instead the center was wide open for a pass.
    The Grizzlies’ winger dropped the puck back to the Grizzlies’ center.
    He was all alone. He took a big slap shot. It bounced off the Timberwolves’ goalie. But a Grizzlies winger was there for the rebound.