HICKORY HOG AND THE CHRISTMAS RASCAL, part 21

PART 21, December 21

"Now, here's my plan," began Hickory Hog. "I'm going to come at the lair from the front. I want you to fly around back to make sure he doesn't get out that way, little bird. Little old man, you take one side and Whizzer you take the other. We should be able to surprise him and get him that way. If you see him, shout out and we'll all converge on him. That way we should be able to capture him. I just hope we won't be too late to stop him from doing whatever it is he's going to do to keep it from snowing."

Hickory had kept the map that the rascal had supplied for him, so he had excellent directions to the lair. When they got close they separated and went off in different directions! so they would be ready to surprise him. They were all to wait for a prearranged signal and then attack the lair all at once.

Hickory figured that the Christmas Rascal always went out to do his rascal business in the evening. So, if they went in just before dark they should be able to capture him. No one had ever seen him in the day, so it would probably be safe to get him then.

Everyone was in place when he gave the signal. They all rushed at the lair as fast as they could. Hickory grabbed the door and flung it open. The lair was empty.

There were no more things in it. It was almost as if the rascal had stopped collecting things after Hickory had returned them. Of course the newspaper said that wasn't true. Things had still gone on, even while Hickory had been returning the first batch. They must be somewhere else.

There were a few boxes in a corner, and some plans of some sort lay on a table. There were a lot of mathematical equations all over the papers which nobody could figure out. Also there were some abbreviations like ft, alt, along with strings of numbers. Back in another corner Whizzer Worm found a book on meteorology.

"What's that?" asked the little old man.

"Meteorology is not the study of meteors, as you might think. On the contrary, it is the study of weather," answered Whizzer.

"You mean like rain and snow?" asked the bird.

“Exactly."

At that moment they heard an explosion outside and then a loud WHOOSH!

© 1989 Kevin Don Levellie