Kids into books: Shiloh

Everyday the Herald carries an extract from a childrens' book as part of its commitment to children's literacy.

This week's title: Shiloh

By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Publisher: Macmillan. $13.95.

Age group: 8 to 12 years.

The dog gets up and backs off. He don't even whimper, like he's lost his bark.

Something really hurts inside you when you seen a dog cringe like that. You know somebody's been kicking at him. Beating on him, maybe.

"It's okay, boy," I say, coming a little closer, but still he backs off.

So I just take my gun and follow the river. Every so often I look over my shoulder and there he is, the beagle. I stop; he stops. I can see his ribs - not real bad - but he isn't plumped out or anything.

There's a broken branch hanging from a limb out over the water, and I'm wondering if I can bring it down with one shot. I raise my gun, and then I think how the sound might scare the dog off. I decide I don't want to shoot my gun much that day.

It's a slow river. You walk beside it, you figure it's not even moving. If you stop, though, you can see leaves and things going along. Now and then a fish jumps - big fish. Bass, I think. Dog's still trailing me, tail tucked in. Funny how he don't make a sound.